Maybe That's The Reason
by What About Love
Summary: What happens when two people who seem to hate each other realize that maybe they are more alike than they seem? Will/Karen fic.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey Gracie

"Hey Gracie." Will greeted as he walked into Grace Adler Designs. He came with the intent to take her to lunch, but quickly forgot about that when he saw her working frantically. She had pencils in her hair and blueprints strung out all over the place.

"Hey Will. I can't go to lunch. This new couple is a pain in the ass. They want me to work this whole next week. I don't know where they get off thinking I only serve them. Who do they think they are?" She began to rant.

"Wait, you're working this whole next week?" Will asked sadly. "Who's going to go to my cousin Alan's wedding with me. You promised you'd be my date." He whined.

"Will, I have a lot of work to do. Take Jack or something." She said, never taking her eyes off her task.

"No, he decided to come up with another one man show. He thought that 'Just Jack' didn't fully capture his spirit." Will explained. "That and I don't want to bring a man with me. My aunt and uncle are still a little freaked out about the whole gay thing."

"Still, even after all these years?"

"Yeah, they just don't think it's natural." He said. "Well who else am I going to get to go with me? I have to leave tomorrow."

"Why don't you take Karen?" Grace suggested, eliciting a death glare from Will. "What, she isn't so bad. She's a lot different when you're alone with her. I'm sure you two would have a great time."

"Are you kidding me with this? Karen is…Karen." He replied while sitting on Grace's stool next to the swatch room.

"And what's so wrong with her?" Grace asked, finally taking her eyes off of her work.

"What's wrong with her? She's a bitter drunk with a cruel sense of humor. She calls me Wilma. She pops pills like they're tic-tacs."

"Okay so she has a few flaws. Just ask her. You need a date and she is most likely not busy."

"No, I'm not doing it. Besides, who says she'll even agree to go?" He kept coming up with excuses. He and Karen had never gotten along. Why was Grace pushing them to start now?

"Will it's just Karen. Would you stop being such a mo and ask her?"

"Ask me what, honey?" questioned a high-pitched voice returning from lunch. Karen walked in and sat down at her desk, putting her purse down and taking her coat off.

"Go ahead Will, ask her." Grace encouraged. Will gave her a look, but knew that if he didn't ask, Grace would.

"Well," he began as he stood from his seat. He walked in front of Karen's desk. "My cousin is getting married this Tuesday and his rehearsal dinner is on Monday. I was just wondering if you would like to come with me as my date."

Karen thought for a moment. Was he serious? He had always had a strong dislike for her. Grace must have put him up to this. Still it would be nice to get out of the house for a while.

"How long are we talking, Wilma?" she asked.

"We have to leave tomorrow morning and we'll get home on Thursday." he replied. Was she really considering going with him?

"Sure honey, I'll go with you." She said stunning both Will and Grace. Karen, however, didn't notice the shock. She was too busy beginning to paint her nails.

"Great, I'll pick you up at your house tomorrow at noon. Sound good?" Will asked as she continued painting.

"Why don't we make it ten and you've got yourself a date." She said. "I want to get out of that manse as soon as possible. Stan's back from his business trip and he's driving me crazy."

"Okay, see you tomorrow at ten. And Grace, see you at home." He said before he went to lunch, alone.

"Karen, are you sure you want to go hang out with Will's family? They're pretty extreme, especially his aunt." Grace asked once she was sure that Will was out of earshot. She wasn't sure how they were going to get along. They couldn't stand each other.

"Of course, honey. From what I understand, they drink a lot. And I am totally supportive of that. Besides, who'd miss the chance to see Wilma in her natural born habitat?" She replied, causing Grace to giggle.

"Just don't hurt each other."

"Oh it wouldn't be any fun if we didn't try." Karen replied before going back to her nails.

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Later that evening, Karen was back at the manse packing her clothes for her trip with Will. She still couldn't believe he asked her to go with him. She supposed it really was Grace who gave him the idea.

Just as Karen was finishing her packing, Stan walked into their bedroom with a ham sandwich in his hand and whiskey on his breath. He cleared his throat. Karen turned around and softly smiled at him.

"Hi Stanley." she greeted, warmly.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked with a hint of annoyance while he closed the door.

"Oh, I wanted to talk to you about it, but you were still at work when I got home." She said while putting her shoes in another suitcase. "Will asked me to go to his cousin's wedding with him this week. We're leaving tomorrow and getting back on Thursday." She said, not noticing the anger written across his face.

"So, you decided to go without even asking for my permission?" He asked. Now she heard the anger. Her warmth toward him quickly turned into rage of her own.

"Permission? Why would I need permission? You don't own me." She said, turning to face him.

He finished his sandwich and wiped his hands on his pants. She glared at him, disgusted. Then she caught the trace of whiskey in the air. He had been drinking again. She panicked and quickly tried to backtrack.

"Stan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"I do own you!" he shouted. "I own you and the expensive alcohol that makes you!" He began walking toward her. "And if it weren't for me, you would just be some whore trying to bilk another man out of his hard earned money!"

"Honey, you're scaring me." She said as she backed away from his angry eyes. He grabbed her upper arms and began to shake her as he spoke.

"I'm scaring you, huh? I thought Karen Walker wasn't afraid of anything!" he shouted in her face.

"Stan, stop it!" she shrieked, pushing him off balance. She began to run to the door, but he grabbed a fist-full of her hair. She let out a quick yelp of surprise and immediately attempted to get away from him. This caused him to only pull harder.

"Where are you going?" he questioned with a shout. "We're not finished here!" With that he threw her to the ground. She struggled to get to the door once again, but this time he pushed her forward, causing her to slam into the door. She recovered from the shock quickly and began to fumble with the lock.

Before she could turn the handle, he was right on her. He spun her around and struck her cheek. He lifted her by her upper arms and shoved her into the door again. She winced in pain as the doorknob slammed into her lower back. He now had her chin in his hand and was shouting in her face.

"You're a whorish bitch, Karen! Without me you would be nowhere! You are nothing!" He shouted. And with that he threw her to the ground and kicked her out of the way so he could retire to the guest room.

Karen lay on the floor, trying to catch her breath. She didn't realize how angry she was making him. She didn't know he'd been drinking until she had already mouthed off. How could she have been so stupid?

She got up off the floor and locked the door. He had gone to the guest room, like he always did after this happened. She was thankful that he couldn't face her. She wasn't sure if she could face him.

She walked over to her night table and pulled a bottle of vodka out of the drawer. She took a long swig, feeling it burn all the way down. She knew she should numb herself before the tears fell. She carried the bottle by the neck and walked into her bathroom. When she looked into the mirror she gasped. He hardly ever hit her in the face. Now she knew why. How was she ever going to explain this?

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	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Karen awoke feeling pain all over

The next morning Karen awoke feeling pain all over. Why did he keep doing this to her? It hadn't always been like this. They were once happily married. It wasn't until a few years after they were married that he started drinking heavily. It was a couple of months before she started working for Grace. That was the main reason she went out looking for a job. That was also the main reason she began to drink as well.

The alarm clock went off and she slammed her fist on the off switch. She got out of bed and took a hot bath. This seemed like a good way to help the pain.

After her bath she dressed in clothes that hid her bruises and put her makeup on very heavily. She also wore her hair down, hoping it would hide the darkness of the bruise that makeup wouldn't completely cover.

Just as she was putting the finishing touches on her hair, Rosario knocked on the still locked door.

"Miss Karen, Mister Will is here for you. I'll take your bags down if you unlock the door."

Karen moved to the door and did as the maid said. When Rosario walked in she looked Karen dead in the face.

"Mami, what happened?"

"I fell out of bed Rosie, that's all." She spoke with little meaning. The maid had a feeling that something had been going on for a long time. However, every time she tried to get her employer to speak of it, she came up with another excuse. How could she help?

Rosario nodded and carried the bags downstairs. Karen grabbed her purse off of her table and also began to make her way down the hall. Just as she was about to pass the guest room, Stan emerged.

"Karen, baby, I am so sorry about last night. I don't know what I was thinking." He began to plead as he took her hands in his. "What can I do to make it up to you?"

"Stan, how the hell am I going to explain this bruise on my face, huh?" She asked while pulling her hands out of his grasp.

"Honey I love you so much. Please forgive me."

"Fuck you." She said, glaring at him and making her way down the stairs to meet Will.

She met him at the door and, just as she expected, he stared at her. She knew the question was coming, but she'd also been doing this long enough to come up with a convincing lie. She was getting too good at this.

"Karen, what happened?" Will asked with concern in his voice.

"Oh, nothing honey. I just fell out of bed last night. It's amazing how far down the floor is." She giggled, an attempt to blow it all off. "So are you ready?"

"Yeah, Rosario just finished putting your bags in the car." He said, ushering her out the door.

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The car ride started off in complete and awkward silence. Will stole a glance at Karen who was looking out the window. She seemed to be very deep in thought. He decided to break the silence.

"So, thanks for agreeing to come with me. It sucks going to a wedding without a date."

"No problem, honey. I do have one question though. Why didn't you just bring Jack?" She asked, confused.

"It's a funny story really. My aunt and uncle don't really accept the gay lifestyle."

"Who cares? It's your lifestyle. How come you didn't just bring a real date?"

"Okay, funnier story. I never actually got around to telling my aunt and uncle that I'm gay." He finally confessed to a shocked Karen.

"What? Oh, Wilma, shame on you." She said, giggling. This may be more fun than she thought.

"I know, but here's where you come in. I told them I'm bringing my girlfriend."

"Honey, are you joking?" She asked.

"No and I'm sorry. I was expecting Grace to be my date and everybody just assumes we're a couple. She doesn't like to look lonely so she just plays along. I didn't think anyone would have to know."

"Don't worry. I won't tell anybody." Karen said. "But it is pretty damn funny."

"Thanks. You know, maybe this trip won't be so bad."

"Well you never know. It could turn bad. I am a 'bitter drunk with a cruel sense of humor. I call you Wilma. I pop pills like they're tic-tacs.' Isn't that what you said to Grace yesterday?" She asked, wondering if he'd fess up. He was shocked.

"Karen, how…"

"I was standing outside the door when you said it, honey."

"I am so sorry you heard that."

"But not that you said it. You know, Wilma, I have my reasons for the way I am and I really don't appreciate you judging me." She said softly. Will thought he could hear some pain in her voice, but he decided to let it go.

"Karen I really am sorry. I don't really know you and I was just…look I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking." He apologized.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." She smiled. Maybe this trip really wouldn't be so bad.

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After a few hours in the car, Will pulled into a restaurant parking lot. He wasn't sure what Karen liked so he chose a place that looked like it had a large variety. She didn't seem to have any complaints so he turned the car off and they walked inside. They were promptly seated and gave their drink orders.

"I'll take water." ordered Will.

"Same here." said Karen without taking her eyes off the menu. "The chicken looks good." When she got no reply she looked up at Will who was staring at her. "What?"

"You ordered water to drink. Are you sick or something?" He asked, still completely flabbergasted.

"No, I just wanted water." She replied. "You know I don't have to have alcohol all the time, Wilma."

"Of course not." he said, looking down at his menu. Since when does Karen drink water? She was starting to freak him out.

They ordered their food when the waiter came back. After ordering, they made light conversation until their food arrived. When Will saw Karen begin to eat a piece of chicken, he was once again astounded. What was with her? Why was she so different back home?

"Okay, Karen I have to ask you a question." Will said. He was finally just going to bite the bullet and ask. "Is something bothering you? You don't seem like yourself today."

"No, honey, I'm fine." She replied while eating another bite. "Are _you_ okay?"

"Yeah." He said. Now it was starting to get awkward again. Great, he should have just kept his mouth shut. But he had no idea how to react. He hadn't seen her drink all day and now here she was eating solid food. Of course he'd seen her eat before, but never things like chicken.

After a nice lunch, they were back in the car. Will calculated that they would reach their destination at about five o'clock. This was good because he was really tired. He didn't get much sleep last night. He was too busy doing his last minute packing and Grace went on a date with a total jackass. He had to comfort her until she went to sleep.

Karen noticed Will beginning to swerve a little. She had her license, but she hadn't driven a car since before she married Stan. However, she could tell that Will was really tired. She wanted to show that she could be a good friend. Maybe she could use this trip to burn some bridges.

"Wilma, if you're tired, I can drive the rest of the way." She said. She could hear some shyness in her voice. What was that all about?

"Really? Do you even know how to drive?" He asked incredulously.

"Sure, honey. It's not a problem. Just tell me where we're going and I can get us there."

Will was still a little leery, but he was so tired. "Fine, here's the map. I'll pull over up a little ways."

She didn't know why, but she felt really good knowing that Will trusted her. She couldn't explain it, but for some reason she felt closer to him. She assumed it was just her sober state. It wasn't often that she allowed herself to remain sober so she wasn't used to the feeling. Maybe this was how people felt normally.

After pulling over and getting a few directions straight, Karen took the wheel. She was a little jerky at first, but quickly caught on. _Just like riding a bike._

A couple of hours later, Karen pulled the car into the hotel parking lot. She was proud of herself. Stan wouldn't let her drive after they got married so this was some newfound kind of independence for her.

Will was still asleep so she leaned over and began waking him up. She shook his shoulder, startling him a little.

"We're here honey." She said, opening the car door and getting out.

"Already?" he asked as he also got out of the car.

"Yeah, that was pretty quick. We are at the right place aren't we?" She questioned. She seriously hoped that she had taken them to the right place. When he nodded his head she was completely relieved.

They loaded their suitcases on a cart and went to the front desk. Will asked for the keys to their rooms, but was extremely frustrated when the woman at the front desk made a mistake in their reservation.

"What do you mean I only reserved one double room? I asked for two single rooms. The girl on the phone said that's what she had me down for!" Will yelled. The girl was so nervous. She hadn't been the one to make his reservation so she had no idea what to say.

Karen saw the poor girl begin to squirm and decided, no matter how funny it was, she should step in and handle this. Will was obviously not in the right state of mind to be dealing with people.

"Wilma, I don't mind us being in the same room. It's kind of like sharing a room with one of your girlfriends, right?" Karen said, brightening the eyes of the girl at the front desk.

"Are you sure, Karen? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"Oh honey I'm fine. Let's go." She said, walking over to the elevator.

"Okay then." Said Will as Karen walked away. He had never heard her just give in to anything. She was always the one to put up a fight until she got her way or someone got fired.

Once they got to the room, Karen put her suitcases on her bed. Yes, Karen Walker carried her own suitcases. Will wondered what else she would do to shock him on this trip.

They began hanging clothes up and putting their things away. They met each other in the bathroom as they both went to put shower supplies and personal items in there.

"I wonder if people actually use these soaps. They don't smell too bad." Will said as he smelled a few of the complementary bars of soap.

"I don't know. I usually steal them all and have Rosie take them to homeless shelters." She said and then froze. Did she just say that? "If you tell anybody that I will deny it and then kill you." She threatened.

Will smiled. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe." He laughed. She smiled back as she attempted to pick up another bar of soap. It fell to the floor and she bent down to pick it up. She heard Will gasp and straightened up quickly.

"What honey?"

"What happened to your back? It looks like you got hit with something." He said, stepping toward her to check under her shirt again. He tried, but she pushed him away. "Karen what happened?"

"Nothing, it's probably from when I fell out of bed." She reasoned as she walked back into the bedroom area. She didn't get very far because Will turned her around to face him. "Ouch, honey, let go!" She squealed as he put his hands on her upper arms. He quickly pulled his hands away when he saw the hurt expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he pulled up her half sleeve. She tried to fight him off, but he was too fast. He gasped as he saw bruises on her arms. "What have you been doing to yourself?" He asked.

She immediately became defensive. "I haven't been doing anything to myself, Mary. Just drop it!" She yelled as she walked over to put her suitcase in the closet.

"Karen, what's been going on?" He asked again. He was really worried about her.

"Honey, I told you to drop it!" she defended as she grabbed her purse. "I need a drink." She said and then she walked out the door, leaving Will speechless.

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	3. Chapter 3

He walked over to his bed after changing into his pajamas. What was wrong with Karen? This morning she seemed frantic and this afternoon she had been acting like a sober, sane human being. Will never thought she could be sober, but he realized that she hadn't drank all day. He realized how much of a façade she put up when they were back home. It was like she didn't want them all to see how wonderful she was. She was so beautiful when she acted considerate and human. Wait, did he just think that? He was having thoughts about Karen looking beautiful to him. Now that was odd. He thought he couldn't stand her.

Well, come to think of it, he had actually been having strong feelings for her for a while now. But he was so scared about what everyone would say. What would Grace think if he told her? She would probably laugh at him and then get offended because it wasn't her. But he really did like her, a lot. He would almost say that he had feelings of love for her if it weren't weird. But he was gay, right?

What he saw this evening unnerved him. He couldn't even imagine the kinds of things that were going on with her. He only hoped that as her friend, and lawyer, he could be there for her.

After a few hours of waiting up for Karen, he got a call from the bar in the lobby. They said that the woman down there was very drunk and may need some help getting back to her room. So, being a good friend, Will went downstairs to get her before she caused a scene.

He walked down into the smoky bar and looked for a small brunette. He found her at a corner table.

"Karen, are you okay?"

She looked at him with sadness in her eyes. "Spare the shit Wilma. I'm only here so you don't look bad in front of your aunt and uncle. You don't have to pretend to care."

He was taken aback by her bitterness. How could she think he didn't care? He cared probably more than she would ever know.

"Why would you think I don't care?" He asked while sitting down next to her. "You are one of my…well you're one of my closest friends."

"Honey, you don't have to say that." She replied.

"Yes I do, it's the truth." He said, hoping she would believe him. She was so drunk she probably forgot the beginning of this conversation already. "Now, can we go upstairs and get some sleep? The reception is in two days and we have to go to lunch at my cousin's house tomorrow." He said, standing up and holding out a hand to Karen.

She looked at him for a moment before accepting his hand with her own. She tried to stand, but stumbled a little. Will quickly caught her around the waist.

"Oh, thanks honey." She said as she tried to straighten herself out. It was no use. She couldn't even stand by herself. Why was getting rid of emotional pain so embarrassing?

"I'm going to carry you." He said sternly before sweeping her off her feet.

He carried her upstairs to their hotel room where he sat her on the foot of her bed. He began to help her put her pajamas on. She didn't seem to care that Will was still in the room and undressing her. When she pulled her top off he had to do a double-take. She had marks on her back and arms and it looked like someone had kicked her in the stomach. His curiosity was completely on edge. However, he knew that he would never be able to get anything out of her tonight so he just helped her pull her shirt over her head and tucked her in.

After Will helped her crawl into bed and went to his own, she tried her hardest to go to sleep. The events of the past couple of days replayed themselves in her mind. Before she knew it she was crying into her pillow. How did she let her life get so fucked up? What was she going to do?

Will was not asleep, as Karen had believed. She would have never cried if she knew. As he lay awake listening to her cry he tried to think about her smile. The way she lit up a room, even though she got most of her laughs from other people's pain. She was only human though. She had emotions and feelings, but she had just gotten really good at hiding them. She was also really good at hiding her personal life. He knew she wasn't hurting herself, it was something else. Was Stan hurting her? That was hard to believe. He had seen them together many times before and all Stan did was radiate love. Her life was so fucked up. He really needed to ask her some questions.

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Will woke up to the sound of birds on the balcony. They were real birds too, not like the pigeons that seemed to be everywhere in the city. These birds gave a calming effect. This effect was shortly interrupted by the memory of last night. The bruises on Karen's otherwise flawless body were playing back in his mind. He needed to talk to her.

He got out of bed and walked over to where Karen was sleeping. She looked like she had cried her makeup off. He just realized that he had never seen her without her makeup on. Now he knew that he had feelings for her, no doubt. She seemed more beautiful than ever. But when she turned over he saw the purple on her cheek. At the sight of this he knew he had to wake her up.

"Karen, wake up." He said gently as he tapped on her hand with his finger. Her eyes fluttered open and she turned her head only to come face to face with Will. She could feel her heart rate increase when she felt his breath on her lips. She quickly brought them both out of this awkward moment by speaking.

"What do you want, Wilma. I have a headache." She said while sitting up. He walked over and brought her a glass of water and some aspirin. She took the pills and remained seated. He sat next to her and grabbed one of her hands in his. She gave him a curious look before saying, "Honey, what's this? What's going on?"

"About yesterday in the bathroom, what happened?" he asked shyly. He didn't want her to feel pushed into telling him. He wanted her to tell him because she wanted too.

"Um, I dropped soap, you went crazy and I went for a drink. You were there Wilma." She said, trying to make it known that she didn't want to talk about it. He still didn't give up.

"No, what happened to your back?"

"I told you. I fell out of bed the other night and hit the floor pretty hard. What's with all the questions, honey?"

"I know you're lying to me. I saw…everything."

"What?" She asked, shocked. What was he trying to say?

"I helped you change into your pajamas last night and I saw your bruises. Karen, you didn't fall out of bed. Tell me the truth." He offered.

"I, well, honey I can't. It's nothing really." She said, pulling away and getting up. She was almost in the bathroom when he ran in front of her.

"Yes you can. I'm always here for you. If you don't tell me I will just have to make my own assumptions. I'm sure they'll be worse than the truth,"

She looked at him and sighed. She felt trapped. "I wouldn't count on it." She whispered. He wasn't sure he had heard her at first, but she led him to the bed and sat down.

"How bad is it?" He asked.

"Will, you know how hard it is for me to say this so I don't want you to say anything until I'm finished. And once this is over you can't talk about it ever again. If you tell anybody, I'll deny everything." She began. He nodded so she continued. "He hits me, honey. He doesn't mean it. I just piss him off a lot. He gets to drinking and he hits me. It's hardly anything to worry about." She finished, taking a deep breath. "Well there you have it. I'm getting in the shower." She said as she stood and walked into the bathroom.

Will was shocked. He couldn't believe that his speculations were right. Stan hits Karen. Not from what Will saw. From what he saw it looked like Stan beats Karen. She just confessed something to him that he never thought he would hear from her. She didn't seem too sad though. At least he didn't think so until he could hear muffled sobs from the bathroom. Until now he wasn't even sure that she knew how to cry. He had to help her.

After Karen got out of the shower she dressed and put on her makeup. She couldn't believe how easy it was for her to tell Will. She had never said the words aloud, but there was something about him that gave her the comfort she needed. He was her rock. He genuinely cared about her.

When Karen walked out of the bathroom Will was still sitting on the end of her bed. He was obviously thinking about her situation and he hadn't moved. She really didn't want to address this any further, but he obviously needed help with her confession. She walked over and bent down in front of him so she was at eye level.

"Will, you don't have to worry." She said quietly. He looked into her beautiful hazel eyes and brushed her cheek with his hand. They smiled at one another. He then stood up and walked into the bathroom for his shower.

Karen stood still and brought her hand to where his rested only a moment ago. He seemed so tender with her. She wasn't sure why, but her heart fluttered when he was close to her. She shook all thought from her head and finished getting ready. They had a lunch to go to. Things had been getting too real for the past couple of days. They needed to have some fun.


	4. Chapter 4

They arrived at Alan's house at around noon. Karen told jokes the whole way there, but her comedy was lost on Will. He was still upset about their earlier conversation. Everything about her seemed surreal now.

"Honey, are you going to be okay?" Karen asked once they were parked. She was really starting to worry about him.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Let's go." He mumbled, but before he could open the door Karen grabbed his hand. He stopped his movements and looked into her eyes. "Okay, I'm not fine. How could you let him do this to you? You are such a special woman and I can't even imagine what has to be going on in your head right now."

"I'm fine, honey. You don't have to worry about this, okay. It's my problem." She reasoned. He could tell that she was trying to make him feel better, but he just had to ask one more question.

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long has this been going on?" He rephrased.

"I really don't want to talk about this. We have to get to lunch." She said, a miserable attempt at working around it. He just glared at her. "Okay, it's been like this since a little bit before I came to work for Grace."

Will was shocked. He always thought Karen was a crazy woman who never let anybody see the real her. How could he have known the burdens she was hiding for so long? If he had known…well what could he have done?

"Karen, if you ever need anybody to talk to or if you ever need anything…"

"I will. Thanks." She said cutting him off. "Now, let's get in there and have some fun." She giggled and they both made their way to Will's cousin Alan's house.

Before they knocked on the door, Will gave Karen the quick rundown.

"Okay, my aunt and uncle don't know I'm gay, but Alan and his fiancée do. Um, don't say fuck in front of them or you'll have to put five dollars in the cuss cup. And please don't make fun of them. They will all gang up on you and attempt to make you kill yourself. Any questions?"

She smirked. "What the fuck is a cuss cup?"

"Cute." He said, smiling back. He then raised his hand and knocked on the door. A few seconds later Alan answered.

"Hey cousin." Alan said as he pulled Will into a hug. "I haven't seen you in forever. How've you been?"

"I'm not too bad. Alan this is Karen Walker."

"It's nice to meet you Karen. I've been really excited to meet Will's girlfriend." He winked as they shook hands. "I'm not sure how much fun us guys will be today, but if you want to help the women in the kitchen I'm sure they'd appreciate it."

Will laughed at this. He had never seen Karen work a day in her life.

"I don't think she'd want to help." He said, still laughing.

"Don't be such an ass Wilma." She said with a fake offended expression. She turned back to Alan and said, "I'd be glad to help." Before taking off her coat and walking into the kitchen. Will was shocked.

"She's a little firecracker isn't she?" said Alan as he hung up her coat.

"Yeah, you should see her back home." Will laughed. He and Alan sat down in the living room. He was surprised that his aunt and uncle weren't there. They hardly ever missed an opportunity to talk about themselves. "Where are Uncle Steve and Aunt Rita?"

"We didn't invite them. Mom keeps heckling me and Jen about the wedding so I told her that she wasn't invited tonight. She was not happy." He said, laughing. "So, back to your girlfriend, what's her story?"

"You know I'm gay." Will said, hoping to clarify any confusion.

"I know that. I just wanted to know how you scored such a little hottie for the wedding."

"She's Grace's assistant. And I use that term loosely." He said smiling. "She's married to one of my clients who is worth like a gazillion dollars."

"Well whatever she's about, I approve." Alan said. He had always been known for being obnoxious so he asked, "Is she a good lay?"

"What the hell?" Will asked, astonished. "She's just a friend."

"You don't think I saw the look in your eye when you talked about her just now? You have feelings for her."

"I do not. She's just one of my best friends."

"For now she is. Have you ever kissed her?"

"No I haven't. I told you there is nothing between us." Will said defensively. "Let's change the subject."

"Okay, but first you should take my advice. Kiss her tonight and see if the sparks fly. If I'm right, you'll be the next one in our family to have a wedding."

"That could never happen. One, she's married. And two, I'm gay. There is no possible way that could happen. Let's just go eat." Will said as he stood and made his way to the table. Alan smiled and followed shortly, knowing he was right.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lunch went so well that they stayed until it was time for dinner. Both deciding that they didn't want anything big, they ordered Chinese takeout and ate on Will's bed. They had been having a lot of fun together. They were both surprised when they realized that they hadn't fought the whole time they'd been together. While they were eating and sharing stories, Will began to tell one of his own.

"You know what Alan said to me today? He wanted to know if we had feelings for each other." said Will, causing Karen to laugh. "I know. Isn't that crazy?"

"Oh, honey. Doesn't he know that would never work? I mean, you're basically a woman." She replied laughing even harder.

"And?" asked Will, trying to bring her to the second drawback.

"And what?" she asked, acting oblivious.

"And you're married." He said.

"Only for the money." she joked. "What else did he say?"

"He said that I should make a move on you to see if the 'sparks fly.' I don't know where he gets this stuff." He smiled. What he didn't realize is that Karen was wondering the same thing.

"Well, were you going to?" She asked, taking another bite of her noodles.

"Try to make a move on you? I'm gay, Karen."

"Would you stop hiding behind that excuse? Jackie and I do crazy things all the time and he's way gayer than you." She giggled. Will sat up and moved closer to her. She looked up at his face and noticed how close he was.

"Would you be offended if I kissed you?" He asked nervously. She just smiled softly and nodded.

Will smiled back and leaned forward. As soon as his lips touched hers, it was like somebody caught them on fire. He slowly massaged her lips with his as her arm came to rest around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to his body. Then he deepened the kiss by parting her lips with his tongue. She kissed him back with fiery passion. It felt so good to feel this alive.

They finally broke apart, but neither of them opened their eyes. They were both so dazed. How could one kiss bring up so many emotions? Will was the first to speak.

"That was so hot." He said causing Karen to giggle a little.

"Too bad you're gay." She joked, but before she knew it he kissed her again. They pulled each other closer as he gently pushed her down onto her back. This time she was the one who initiated the sparks when she pushed her tongue into his mouth. They were lost in one another.

Will moved his hands down to the hem of her shirt to feel her silky smooth skin underneath. She sighed as his hands began to make their way up. He ran his hands over her breasts as their tongues battled.

Karen was brought out of the fog when she felt his erection growing firmer on her thigh. She knew she had to stop this now before it went too far. They weren't ready for this yet. They hardly knew each other.

"Honey," she said as he began to kiss her neck. It was all she could do to finish her sentence. "We should stop." She finally spoke, breathing heavily. He pulled away.

"I am so sorry. I should have asked if it was okay." He said panicking. He pulled his hands out from under her shirt and stood.

"If you didn't notice, I was kissing back." She said, standing up to meet him. "I just didn't want it to go too far. You may not feel the same way about me tomorrow." She smiled. "Goodnight." She said and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Then she walked over to her bed and went to sleep.

Will cleaned up the remaining takeout containers and went to bed himself. He couldn't believe that had just happened. The first kiss was hot, but the second sent a riptide through him. This whole trip was unbelievable. He could hardly wait to see what the next day had in store.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day was the rehearsal dinner for Alan and Jennifer's wedding. It was in the evening so Will and Karen got to enjoy some extra sleep. It wasn't until noon that Karen woke up. She immediately replayed the events from the evening before.

Karen had never thought of Will as anything more than Grace's best friend and her gay lawyer. However, last night gave her a glimpse into him as a person. He was such a good kisser.

She looked over to his bed and noticed that he was still asleep. She decided to wake him up so she got out of bed and climbed into his. His back was to her so she pressed her body to his back and wrapped her arm around him. Then she placed soft, feather-like kisses on his neck until he began to stir.

Will felt a tickling sensation on his neck and his eyes flew open. He quickly turned his head and came face to face with Karen. He smiled and pulled her face down for a gentle kiss. They pulled away and smiled at each other.

"Good morning, honey." Karen said as she hugged him closer.

"Hey, what time is it?"

"It's noon, so wake up sleepy head." She said with a giggle. Then she got up and went to take a shower.

Will loved the way that he was woke up this morning. He decided that he could get used to this. The only drawback was that Karen was married. They could never realistically be together. What was he doing? He couldn't have feelings for a married woman. She was taken. How could he feel okay about doing this to her husband?

Some husband he was. He beat his wife. He hit one of the most beautiful creatures that Will had ever laid eyes on. So who gives a shit about the husband? He lost his right to deserve this woman when he lost his temper and hit her.

Will hadn't realized how long he was laying in bed thinking until Karen came out of the bathroom dressed and ready. She looked at him and smiled. He was such a good guy.

"Will, are you going to stay in bed all day?" She asked while walking over to the suitcase that contained her shoes.

"Oh, I was just thinking." He said while getting up and heading over to get his clothes.

"About what, honey?"

"About you." He replied. "And Stan."

Her happiness suddenly turned around a little at the mention of her husband's name. "Oh."

"Yeah, like what's going to happen with us? What's going to happen between you two? I just can't stop thinking about all of this." He sheepishly admitted.

"Will, do you want to be with me?" She said, standing up to face him. It only took him a moment to answer.

"Would it be wrong if I said yes?"

"No. I want to be with you too, but I can't just divorce Stan. He would never let me go."

"I can help you." He said, walking over to take her hands in his. "Let me be your lawyer in court. I could find ways to prove that he hits you…"

"No. I don't want people to know about that." She said, slightly appalled. "That is nobody's business but ours."

"If you don't get away from him soon he could kill you. Please leave him, not only for me. Do it for you. You are way too good for him."

"Honey, I've thought about it a lot. I just can't do it."

"You're staying with a man who beats you, for money?" Will said, astonished.

"I can't make it on my own. Why do you think I got married in the first place?"

"Stay with me. I won't let anything happen to you."

"I trust you, Will, but this is a big decision. I just want to enjoy our little trip, okay? Let's just have fun and think about all this other stuff when we get home."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I'll get ready and we'll head over to the rehearsal dinner."

"Okay." She said and smiled as he placed a kiss on her lips. He then went to take a shower.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Once they arrived at the dinner, Will's whole crazy family was there and waiting to meet his 'girlfriend.' To Karen it seemed like these people had nothing better to do than to find flaws in their family members. However, she was used to this from all of her high society parties, she _thought._

As soon as Will and Karen hung their coats up Will's aunt and uncle were right at their heels. They wanted to get a good look at his girlfriend. It amazed them that he was bringing a new girlfriend this time. He usually brought the redhead. They were very suspicious.

"Hello William." Said Aunt Rita as she walked over and gave him a hug. "And who is this girl?"

"Hi Aunt Rita, this is my girlfriend Karen." Will said, ushering Karen to his aunt.

"Oh Karen, I hope you'll stick around longer than that last girl. I guess she was just not right for our little William. We know he is just constantly looking. But don't worry. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. You must have something more to offer than the last." said Aunt Rita before she walked away.

"Don't worry about her." said Uncle Steve. "She just doesn't want to get too attached if you know what I mean." He then chuckled and followed Rita before she began degrading another family member.

"They're odd." said Karen as soon as they walked away. Will just laughed.

"Just wait until you meet the rest of them." Will said as they walked to their table.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

About one hour later, Will was going along with the rehearsal, he was filling in for the best man tonight, and Karen was sitting in the audience. She got the seat next to Aunt Rita. She had no idea what to say to this woman. She had been insulting Karen all evening. She didn't want to embarrass Will, but this woman was a snide bitch. It was time for the real Karen to come out of her shell.

"So, Karen, where did you meet William? You really don't seem like his type."

"We met through our friend Grace. And what do you mean I don't seem like his type?"

"Oh, it's nothing personal, dear. You know, you're not exactly young, or thin, and you don't seem like the type of girl who could take very good care of our little William. That's just what I see though. I'm sure you're not as bad as you seem. Still, I have to wonder why he's never brought you around before." She said, still looking forward to the stage. She didn't care to notice the brunette beside her, getting ready to throttle her.

"Listen here, Rita. I'm not sure what your problem is, but maybe Will doesn't like to bring his lovers around because you're such a nasty bitch." Karen replied sweetly, keeping her eyes forward as well. She was not going to let this woman intimidate her.

"You two are lovers? I knew you looked a little loose for my taste. I guess if that's what he likes in his girls then you'll be fine for a while. You do look like you've been around, if you don't mind me saying so. I'm sure he'll eventually tire of you." That was enough. This bitch was going down.

"Don't be so quick to judge. I let him fuck me all night. Sometimes we even go for hours. He likes to do me any way he can and he loves me because I let him do whatever he wants, whenever. I may look loose to you, but if you ask Will, I'm as tight as a virgin." Karen said, hoping she made this woman uncomfortable. She then stood and looked her straight in the eye. "And I'm a woman, not a girl." She said before she began to walk away. She suddenly stopped and handed Rita a ten dollar bill. "This is for your cup." She said, staring her down.

"It's only five dollars." Rita said coldly.

"Oh, right." Karen said, smiling. "Fuck you." She walked over to where Will would be when he finished. She wanted to be the one to break the news that she would probably no longer be welcome around his family.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few minutes later Will met Karen near the bar. He walked over and gave her a hug. She quickly pulled away and looked him straight in the eye.

"Honey, you may hate me after I tell you this so I'm just going to say it. I told your aunt off and I'm pretty sure you whole family will hate me in a few short minutes." She explained, panicking a little. "I am so sorry, honey."

Will wasn't the least bit surprised. He knew that if he left Karen alone with his aunt long enough then she would cut her down to size. He laughed a little and then pulled Karen into a hug.

"Do you know how long we've all been waiting for someone to put her in her place? I'm sure that as soon as they all hear about it, they'll love you." He said while smiling.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, everybody's kind of afraid to say the wrong thing to her. I hope you threw in at least one 'fuck.'"

"I threw in two, but I paid for it. Oh, and if anybody asks, we're lovers and I'm as tight as a virgin okay?" she said, smiling. She was so relieved that he didn't have a problem with her big mouth.

"You've got it." He said and then he led her to their table to begin eating their dinner.

As luck had it, Will was assigned the table with Alan and Jennifer and Rita and Steve. Anyone could tell that the tension was almost unbearable. The beginning of dinner was silent and excruciating. Finally, Alan spoke up.

"Okay, I know there was an incident earlier between Mom and Karen. I would just like to say that, Mom, you need to get over it. And Karen, I am sorry if she made you feel unwelcome to the family. She just has a permanent stick up her ass. Okay. The tension should be broken. Will, how is your dinner?"

"Fine, thank you. I really like the vegetables." Will replied, trying to avoid the awkwardness. This was going to be a very long evening.


	6. Chapter 6

After they arrived back at the hotel, Will and Karen were beat. They took their shoes and coats off at the door and flopped down on the couch in front of the television. Karen laid her head against Will's chest as he put his arm around her. They looked like they were meant to be that way forever.

"Karen, do you realize that we still have about two days left with this freak show?" Will asked as he chuckled slightly.

"I think we can do it. As long as you keep that bitch away from me we'll be fine." She replied, also giggling. "Oh, honey, I love being around you."

"I love being around you too. I would like to share an observation though."

"What's that?"

"I haven't seen you drink or take any pills since that first night. Why do you do all that at home?" He asked, hoping he hadn't offended her. He was just so curious.

"How else could I keep living the way I do, Will?" She replied before she looked into his eyes.

"I am sorry, Kare. I didn't mean to pry. I just…"

He was interrupted by her soft lips on his. She kissed him deeply before pulling away.

"Don't worry about me, honey. Remember, we're here to have fun. Don't think about home. Let's just live in the here and now."

"I'm sorry. I'll try."

"Good. Now, I'm going to bed. If I have to deal with your crazy family again tomorrow, I'm going to need plenty of fuel. Goodnight." She said and kissed him again. The kiss lingered as she pulled away and once she did, she could see love in Will's eyes. "Honey, I don't want to make love yet, but would you like to share a bed with me tonight?" She asked, shyly.

"There's nothing I would like more." He replied as he followed her to bed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day was the day of the wedding. Will woke up to find Karen fit snugly in his arms. He suddenly heard footsteps coming into the bedroom. He turned his head to find Alan walking through the door. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Will and Karen in bed together.

"I thought you were gay." He said in an odd, placating way.

"I thought I was too." said Will, slowly pulling himself out from under Karen. He walked over to Alan and closed the bedroom door to let Karen continue to sleep. "What's up?"

"I'm kind of freaking out. I mean I love Jen, but I don't know if I can do this. What if we don't work out? I don't know if I can take that chance." said Alan very quickly. "I don't know if I can go through with this. I need your help."

"First off, calm down. You're crazy right now." said Will as he led Alan over to the couch to sit. "You made this decision a long time ago and you have to know that she's still the right one for you. When you look at her, all I see is love on your fave. Why would you be questioning this now?"

"I just don't want to mess this up."

"That should be enough reason for you to know that this is right."

"How do you know if it's right? How do you know if you're in love?"

"You know the first time you look into her eyes. The way she talks big, but you really know she's fragile. You know you love her when she looks at you and shares her deepest secrets. You just know that you love her and want to spend the rest of your life with her." Will said in a dreamlike state. He never realized until now that he was really talking about how much he was in love with Karen.

"Thanks man." said Alan, understanding. "I shouldn't be worried about this now. I know I love her. I'll see you at the wedding. I'm going to go get married." He then stood and gave Will a hug.

After Alan left Karen opened the bedroom door. Will noticed that she had tears in her eyes. He quickly walked over to her and took her in his arms.

"Karen, what's wrong?" He said worriedly.

"Honey, did you mean it?" She asked softly.

"You heard?" he asked, shocked. He thought he had closed the door and left her sleeping.

"Yes. Did you mean what you said?"

"Yes I did." He replied.

"Say it to me, please." She said, almost like she needed to hear it to make sure it was real.

"Karen, I love you." He said and then captured her lips with his. They embraced and stayed that way for a long while before she pulled away. She looked into his eyes and smiled.

"I'm going to take a shower." She said and she made her way to the bathroom.

Will had no idea what it was about her that made him so crazy, but she had just done it again. Every time she left the room, she did so with such a presence. He loved her so much. However, he couldn't help thinking about how it would be once they got back to Manhattan. They only had a couple of days left, but he was more than willing to make the most of it.

After they took their showers they busied themselves until it was time to get ready for the wedding. Karen looked at Will and he took her breath away. He would look so good in his black suit with the white rose on his lapel. She wanted him, bad.

She loved him. After she heard him say he loved her, her whole world turned. It actually brought her to tears. Karen Walker didn't cry, but now that she had been sober and feeling things, life was different. She wanted to be normal for once. She wanted to feel love.

They had a few hours still before they had to be at the wedding. Will was flipping through television channels when Karen walked over and put her arms around his middle, pressing her body to his. She rubbed her hands up and down his chest before undoing a few buttons at the top of his shirt.

"Karen, what are you doing?" He asked, stopping her hands and turning around to face her.

"Will you make love to me?" She asked, bluntly. Will was shocked.

"Now?"

"Yes."

"Are you really sure? You're still married."

"No, don't say it, honey." She said, placing a hand to his mouth. "I want to tell you something first."

"You can tell me anything." He replied, leading her over to the edge of the bed to sit. He took her hands in his and looked straight into her eyes.

"I've never been in love. I've been married to three different men, but I never loved any of them. To be honest, I don't think they ever loved me. But, honey, for the first time in my life I know what love is. I've never _made_ love. I want you to show me. I need to feel it." She said. She had never spoken with such emotion and it almost broke Will's heart. He looked deep into her eyes and nodded.

He leaned in close to her and captured her lips with his. They fell sideways onto the bed and kissed passionately while Karen unbuttoned the rest of Will's shirt. Once his shirt was removed, he slowly placed himself on top of her and teased her lips with his tongue. She allowed him entrance. He then unbuttoned her shirt and placed kisses down her neck and chest.

Once her shirt was removed, she pulled his face back up to hers and kissed him longingly. She put an arm around his neck and pulled him close to her body while she undid the button and zipper of his pants. He took this opportunity to unzip her skirt and pull it down her legs. He pulled his pants down too and ran his hands up and down the sides of her body, feeling her curves. She smiled into his mouth and pulled away from his kiss.

She looked into his eyes and unclasped her bra, feeling self-conscious. He smiled at her and pulled it down her arms, tossing it to the floor with the rest of their clothes. He pushed his hands down her body, getting his fingers underneath the line of her panties and sliding them off her ankles. After getting rid of his boxers, he mounted her once again.

"Will, I love you." She said before they went any further. He looked into her eyes and smiled.

"I love you too, Karen." He replied.

As their eyes remained connected, he pushed himself into her. She gasped at the sudden warmth, finally becoming one with him. He kissed her again and began to move inside her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him deeper. She wanted to feel him as deep as possible.

He quickened the pace as she began meeting his movements more vigorously. She gained strength and rolled them over so she was on top of him. She didn't sit up. Instead she molded her body to him and moved her pelvis to meet his as her tongue swirled around in his mouth. Her first orgasm overtook her without warning. She sighed loudly into his mouth and felt her body shake.

He took this as a sign of her weakness and rolled them back over. He felt himself getting closer to the edge and felt as if he were about to burst, but he wanted to watch her come again. He wanted to feel her shake beneath him as he quickened the pace once more. He pushed into her further and all of a sudden he stopped moving. She breathed heavily beneath him, tortured and confused.

Just as she felt herself coming down, he pushed into her harder and deeper than before. It wasn't long before they came in unison, whispering each other's names, and pushing through until the last waves of pleasure subsided.

He pulled out slowly and turned onto his back next to her. It seemed that neither of them could control their breathing. She moved closer and clung to his naked body. She could feel their hearts beating in harmony and smiled to herself.

"Promise me that every time will be like this." She said softly, finally catching her breath.

"Every time, forever." he replied, pulling her closer.

They lay naked in each other's arms for an hour talking about their pasts and futures. Will told her about his hopes and fears. Karen told him about her life. The life she had always kept from everyone. How her first husband cheated on her. How her second husband verbally abused her. And she told him about the first time Stan hit her. She even spoke of her problem with alcohol.

He listened as she spoke of a life full of pain, heartache. There were good times, of course, but she had never really been dealt a fair hand. Every man she had ever been with had abused her in some way. He vowed silently to himself that from this day forward, he would make her life worth living. He would deal her the hand that she deserved. All of a sudden Karen sat up and looked over at the clock.

"Holy shit, Will, we have an hour to get there." She said as she jumped up and began to get dressed.

"Alan will never forgive me if I'm late to his wedding. Hurry, it's like twenty minutes from here to there." He said as he panicked and got dressed quickly.

They were running around frantically, pulling themselves together. At one point in time Karen was running out of the bathroom as Will was running in and they ran smack into each other. They laughed and slowed down a little, realizing that they were making decent time.

Finally they were ready to leave. Will looked himself up and down then turned to look at Karen. He stopped in his tracks when he saw how beautiful she looked. She was wearing a deep purple strapless, knee length dress with a black shoulder wrap. Her shoulder length hair was down and in waves that contoured her face perfectly.

"Stop staring at me." She complained, snapping him out of his daze.

"Sorry, you just look so amazing." He said as he walked over to her and kissed her red lips. She blushed, something he thought she was incapable of, and wiped her lipstick off of his mouth with her thumb.

"Well, I'm glad you like it, honey, but we need to go." She said. They grabbed the wedding gift and walked out the door. It was finally time for the event that their trip was centered around.


	7. Chapter 7

They arrived at the church right on time and took their seats. Aunt Rita and Uncle Steve greeted Will warmly and gave Karen a crude look. She just giggled and greeted them sweetly. Oh, how she hated these people. Will just smiled knowingly.

The ceremony was beautiful and Jennifer was stunning in her dress. The whole thing was extravagant, but seemed necessary. They all looked so happy.

The reception was in a gazebo-like building by a lake. The chilly lake air made everything seem very romantic. Will could hardly keep his hands off of Karen.

After their dinner, Will asked Karen to dance with him. They held each other close and swayed to the beautiful ballad that played into the night.

"This is the best wedding I have ever been to and I'm not even the one who got married." Said Will with a chuckle.

"Oh, I know, honey. I kind of don't want tonight to end. It's like a dream." She replied, laying her head against his chest. She loved feeling so close to someone. He rubbed her back and she hummed along with the tune.

"Hey, Kare," Will began after a moment, "have you ever studied music or sang or anything?" He asked, unable to find a good way to word his question. She giggled.

"When I was sixteen, after I left home, I had to support myself by singing in a bar. That's how I met my first husband."

"How come I never knew that about you?"

"You never asked." She laughed.

"From now on I don't want to even have to ask. I want to know everything about you."

"Are you sure? You may not like some of it."

"I don't care. Nothing can ever change my mind about you. I love you."

"I love you too, honey." She said, standing on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips. As soon as their lips met, Aunt Rita danced by with Will's cousin Jamie who eyed Karen suspiciously.

"William, if your mother knew that you were displaying affection in public she would just die." She said, giving Karen a glare full of venom.

Instead of pulling away, Karen kissed Will deeper and pushed her tongue into his mouth. She made sure that her eyes were open and she was staring into Rita's. She renewed the kiss, pulled her tongue out and pushed it back in again.

Rita was appalled. She stared Karen straight in the eyes and commented to her dance partner.

"I guess public affection is okay when you're doing so with a filthy little whore."

At that comment, Will pulled away. He was now furious. This time she had gone too far.

"Aunt Rita, I have tried to show you respect my whole life, but I can't take it anymore. I am in love with this woman and I'm not going to let you talk to her like that. She's not a whore. She's the most wonderful woman I have ever known. If you can't accept us then just stay away from us." He said before turning to Karen and taking her hand. "We should congratulate Alan and Jennifer and go back to the hotel. I want nothing more than to ravish your entire body right now." He said before he pulled her over to the newlyweds. Rita was speechless and completely overwhelmed. She needed a cigarette.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Will and Karen quickly walked over to Alan and Jennifer and gave them their best wishes. They told them the story and tried to leave, but the newlyweds stopped them.

"You can't leave. We haven't cut the cake yet." Alan complained. "I'm sure after what you said to Mom, she'll leave you alone."

"I guess we could stay a little longer. I just don't want to cause a scene on your wedding day." said Will. He looked at Karen who seemed to be fine with staying and smiled.

"Good. Just do me a favor and stay away from my mother." Alan said as he laughed and walked away to dance with his wife.

Will turned to Karen and found her giggling. He smiled at her and asked, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, really, it's just, you care so much about your family and making them happy. But you just told off your aunt, for me."

"Well, I had to tell her something. I didn't want her to start thinking I was gay or anything." He said, laughing. Karen giggled too and took his hand. They walked over to their table and watched as the couple cut their cake.

Karen remembered her wedding day, well, all three of them. She remembered her first one in particular, though. She wore a beautiful dress, the most expensive thing she had ever bought at that point in her life. They didn't have much money or a fancy ceremony, but they were so happy, for a while.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt Will's hand on her knee. He moved it upward, underneath her dress, and began to caress her thigh. He then moved his hand higher and started to rub her a little through her panties. He smiled when he heard her breath hitch.

He wasn't worried about anybody seeing them. They were seated off to the side and there was a long tablecloth covering her lap. He was so ready to get back to the hotel.

He hooked his finger in her panties and started touching her. She grabbed his hand, forcefully, and looked at him.

"Honey, if you don't stop you'll really give the impression that I'm a whore." She said before pulling his hand out from under her dress. "They just cut the cake. We are no longer under any obligation to stay here." She winked.

"Then let's go." He said, grabbing her hand and practically dragging her out of her seat. They waved goodbye to Alan and got their coats. Then they nearly ran to the car.

"Will," she began once they closed the doors. "Have you ever had sex in a car?"

"Are you kidding?" He asked incredulously. "You want to do it here?"

"It's dark, why not?" She said as she climbed onto his lap, straddling him. She then began kissing his neck and undoing his tie.

"Karen, what if someone sees?" He asked, knowing that he couldn't resist now even if he wanted to.

She replied by silencing him with her mouth. He ran his hands over her shoulders and down her back, taking the zipper of her strapless dress down with them. He began kissing her neck and snapped her panties off with a swift pull. She jumped. "Ouch, what the hell was that?" she asked, surprised.

"I don't want to waste any time." He replied before pulling her mouth down to his. She giggled at his animalistic behavior and undid his pants. Before they could take it any farther, they heard a sharp knock on the window. They jumped and turned to find Aunt Rita and a few other relatives watching them.

"Oh, fuck!" they both exclaimed while trying to cover themselves up.

"Ten dollars." said Rita, holding out her hand.

They stared at her with blank expressions on their faces.


	8. Chapter 8

They walked into the hotel room a little bit later, both a little sleepy and slightly embarrassed. Why was it that every time the touched each other, Rita was there? Neither of them could understand what her problem was. What made her want to make Will and Karen look bad?

They each went to the bedroom and changed into their pajamas. It was silent. They weren't exactly sure of what to say. Karen wanted to laugh it off, but Will seemed really upset. After she finished changing, Karen sat on her bed and began to speak.

"Will, I'm sorry if you're upset, but things happen."

"I'm not so much upset as I am ashamed."

"Of me?" she asked, hurt.

"No, of course not, I love you." He said as he walked over and sat next to her. "I'm ashamed that my aunt will be the one to tell my mother that I'm with a woman. I kind of wanted to be the one to tell her."

"Do you really think your mother will believe that drunken shrewd? She's on your dad's side anyway isn't she? Are they really that close?"

"I guess not. Plus, I don't think she'd do anything to take attention away from her son's wedding. I'm sorry, I'm just really uptight." He said.

"Well, nobody can stop us now." She said as she sat up on her knees and began kissing his neck. "You want me to loosen you up?"

He smiled. Then he grabbed her around the waste and tossed her on the bed. They made love once again before drifting off to sleep in each other's arms.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day was the last day of their trip. They awoke in each other's arms when the alarm clock went off. They groaned as Will reached over and shut it off.

"Good morning." He said as he kissed her lightly.

"Good morning indeed." She replied. "Can't we skip the event for today?" She questioned while cuddling closer to him in contentment.

"Alan wants us all to be together for his honeymoon sendoff."

"Your family is so ridiculous." She giggled.

"I know, but we're fun."

"Honey, you have no idea." She replied, kissing his neck. She wanted nothing more than to stay in bed all day, but she knew that if they skipped the event, there would be hell to pay.

Will stood and was on his way to take a shower when he turned around and faced Karen. She smiled and he pulled the covers back quickly, exposing her body to him. He then leaned over and picked her up around the waist. She had her arms around his neck and could feel the length of his body along hers.

"What are you doing?"

"I thought you might like to join me." He replied, smiling and carrying her to the shower with him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They may have been a little late, but they arrived at Alan and Jennifer's house just in time to eat before they helped send the couple off on their honeymoon. Karen decided that they were like Jews; spreading out the celebration.

"You know, honey, if we play our cards right, this could be the only day of our little trip that there wont be any drama." Karen commented as they sat on a couch with a few more of Will's cousins.

"I hope so, but just to be sure, I'm keeping you away from Aunt Rita." He laughed, pulling her closer. He kissed her cheek before he said, "I'll be right back. I have to call Grace and tell her when we'll be home tomorrow. I don't want to walk in on anything that could scar me for life."

A few hours later Alan and Jennifer left for their honeymoon. Will and Karen said their goodbyes and went back to the hotel. They were extremely tired and wanted to get some rest before their trip home.

They didn't make love that night, instead, the lay naked in each other's arms, feeling nothing, but skin and love. Neither had ever felt happier.

"Karen, what do you think will happen once we go home? Can we talk about it now?" He asked as he ran his fingertips up and down her bare arm.

"I don't know. I don't think I could just spring a divorce on Stan. And I don't think we could tell Grace and Jack just yet. Maybe we should just keep it a secret."

"Like an affair? Do you know how painful that would be, for everyone?"

"I don't want to hurt them, but I don't know if I can face Stan. If he were to find out that I had sex with someone else, he would leave me with nothing." She said, but added quietly, "or kill me."

"Don't say that. You know you have more reason than me to leave him. You don't have to tell anyone about me. Just wait until after the divorce is final and then we can tell everybody about us. That way it couldn't be proven that you violated the fidelity clause." He reasoned. He just wanted her to be happy and safe. "I'll be your lawyer. We can get you at least half of everything."

"I hate this." She said. "I wish everything would just work out like it should, without any problems." She then kissed him softly on the lips. "Do I still get to screw my incredibly gorgeous lawyer, as long as nobody finds out?" She joked.

"Anytime, any place, as long as we don't get caught."

"So it is an affair." She said, catching his eye.

"I guess so." He said. "I'll write up the papers when I go back to work, as long as you're sure that's what you want."

"It is, honey. I just want to be with you. Use anything you want to murder him in court. I trust you." She said, leaning up and placing a soft kiss on his lips. "And I love you."

"I love you too." He replied before they fell asleep, holding onto one another dependently.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They packed their belongings and began making their way home. Neither could believe that this trip had gone by so quickly. It had only been a little under a week and so much had happened.

"Will, once we get home I'll have to start calling you Wilma again to keep up appearances and whatnot. I don't want you to think that I mean some of the things I say."

"I know. I guess we'll just have to pretend that this whole trip was hell." He replied, eyes on the road and Karen's hand in his. "How big of a lie would that be." He laughed, causing her to giggle.

They stopped to eat a few hours later at a cute little diner. They sat at a back table and enjoyed a light meal. They wanted to stall as long as possible since this would be the last time that they wouldn't have to hide in public.

"Karen, would you like to join me in the bathroom?" Will said, quietly.

"Why, Will, what are you suggesting?" she smiled.

"You'll just have to find out. Meet me there in a few minutes." He said before throwing some money on the table and walking into the single bathroom. She smiled and looked at her watch. She loved how spontaneous their young relationship was. It was full of so much excitement.

She had turned into a completely different person on this trip. She hadn't been drunk in a while and she loved the feeling of being alive. She didn't want to go back. All of this thinking could give her a headache.

She decided not to think. She was going to just be happy that she finally had something to look forward to. And that is exactly what she planned on doing, looking forward. She stood from her seat and walked to the bathroom. Nobody seemed to notice so she knocked on the door with an odd rhythm to indicate that it was her.

Will opened the door and quickly pulled her in. He closed the door by shoving her back into it and kissing her lustfully. She kissed back and asked entrance into his mouth. He allowed it and reached under her skirt to pull her panties down. He unzipped is pants and lifted her by her thighs, raising her skirt enough for him to feel her skin under his hands.

He pulled his mouth away from hers and kissed his way down her neck. Her breathing was out of control. She wasn't one to be very loud during sex, but right now she was having trouble keeping quiet. He was driving her crazy. She thought she could keep control until he slipped into her. She cried out loudly and arched her back as he moved. She responded to his movement and pulled him closer with her legs.

"Harder!" She screamed when he slowed down a little. He was having trouble standing and keeping control so he sat on the closed toilet seat, pulling her down on top of him.

She pulled up and pushed down, practically slamming herself onto his lap as he guided her hips. Her first orgasm had passed with a loud cry and she leaned back, putting her hands on his knees. She was nearing her second orgasm. He found the perfect place on her collarbone to kiss and suck while finishing off their needs.

Karen came and continued to move on his lap, causing him to come too. She collapsed on top of him. They were both sweaty and physically exerted. After a few minutes, Karen stood on legs made of water. She smiled at Will before walking over to put her panties on. He also stood.

After straightening out their clothing, and breathing, Will pulled Karen into a hug. She pulled back a little to kiss his mouth. They walked out of the bathroom together, not thinking about the people who were eating. They both stopped once they realized that all eyes were on them. They must have been louder than they thought.

They smiled at their audience and walked out to the car. It was Karen's turn to drive so she pulled out of the parking lot and they made their way home. Only two more hours before they had to pretend to hate each other, but they still felt like they were walking on air.


	9. Chapter 9

Karen stopped the car in front of the manse. She looked at Will and smiled a small and fragile smile. She looked into his eyes and almost cried.

"I love you, Karen."

"I love you too, honey." She said before looking at her home. She made sure nobody was looking and kissed him tenderly. She pulled away with a sense of sorrow and got out of the car. Rosario was there in a flash to get her bags and Will drove to his home across town.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The evening brought loneliness to both of them. Will was at his home trying to tell all the funny stories from his trip without giving anything away. Karen was at her home, trying her best to avoid Stan.

He hadn't been drinking, but he seemed like he had something on his mind. He seemed distant and cold. She decided to ask him about it. He was still her husband after all.

"Stanley, are you alright? You seem kind of sad or something." She asked, wondering if her return was the reason for his sadness.

"I'm fine." He said shortly.

"Are you sure, honey? You know you can talk to me about anything." She said as she put her hand on his shoulder. She instantly regretted it because he turned on his heel and backhanded her across the face. She immediately tasted blood and kept her eyes from his.

"I don't want to talk. Get that through your thick, drug addicted head!" he shouted as he left the library.

Karen had been hit before, obviously, but this time felt different. It seemed more personal. He hadn't been drinking. He never showed anything, but affection towards her when he was sober. What was going on? Was this her big sign to get out?

She let her thoughts roll around in her head until she felt a hand on her arm. She turned sharply to come face to face with Rosario. She had a look on her face of sheer horror. She had always suspected, but she had never seen him hit her until now.

"Miss Karen, you have to get away from him." She said. Karen gave her a dirty look and pulled her arm away, building up her walls.

"Rosie, let me let you in on a little secret. My life is none of your business, okay. You clean up after me and that is all you do. So before you start judging me, why don't you shut your yappity-yap and get me a drink." She said harshly.

"Yes Miss Karen." She said sadly as she left to get a drink.

Karen knew that it was wrong to snap at Rosario for something like that. She was only trying to help. When she returned with her drink, Karen rushed behind her and shut the door.

"Rosie, I'm sorry." She said, looking her maid in the eyes and taking her drink. Rosario was shocked. She had never heard Karen apologize for anything.

"Miss Karen, how long are you going to let this happen? You need to leave him." She said, soothingly. This was an odd conversation for them. They hardly ever spoke with sincerity.

"Honey, I don't want you to worry, okay. Will is writing me up some divorce papers when he goes back to work on Monday."

"Mr. Stan had a woman friend here the other night. He doesn't know, but I kept the security tape."

"What?" Karen asked, shocked. "He's cheating on me?"

"I also have the tape of the night before you left." She said. Karen looked at her with a shocked expression on her face. She shook it off and took a drink of her martini.

"Thanks, honey. I'll take them to Will when I go over there tonight."

"You're going to visit him tonight?"

"Yeah, I have to go over a few papers with him." She replied, finishing off the first drink she had had in a while. "Stan might stay in the guest room. I don't know."

"Would you like another drink?"

"Of course I would. I don't pay you so you can sit around and chit-chat all day." She said as she went to open the door.

"Shut you're drunken trap." Rosario replied as she began to leave.

"Rosie." Karen called after her. "Thanks." She smiled and let the maid finish her work. She couldn't wait to see Will.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was around eleven o'clock when Will heard a knock on his door. He opened it to reveal Karen. She smiled as he invited her in.

"Where's Grace?" she asked, hoping they could have some time alone.

"She's asleep. What brings you here?" he asked, smiling. His smile faded when he saw a small bruise forming on her jawbone. He reached his hand up to examine her face.

"I'm okay, honey. But I have something for you that might make our case a little easier." She said, pulling a couple of video tapes out of her purse. "Rosie stole them from Security Guard."

"This is it, then. We have tapes. You could get more than half. He has nothing against you." He said as he hugged her. Once he pulled away he looked into her eyes. "How long do you have?"

"A couple of hours." She replied. "Stan thinks I went out for a few drinks."

He smiled at her beautiful hazel eyes and grabbed her hand. He placed the video tapes on the coffee table and they walked hand in hand to his bedroom, where they silently made love.

An hour and a half later, Karen was almost asleep in Will's embrace. He wasn't sure what happened before she came over, but she was so passionate when they made love. He had to think that there was some connection.

"Karen, what happened this time?" He asked, looking into her eyes. She looked away.

"I don't know. Usually I can see it coming, but I didn't even have a clue this time. He hadn't even had a drink." She said, in a daze.

"What do you mean?"

"He never does it when he's sober. This was different." She said. Will could tell that she felt more violated than usual so he decided to change the subject.

"You know, I never thought in a million years that I'd be here with you." He said. She knew he was trying to change the subject so she smiled.

"Emotionally or just in bed?" she asked while giggling a little bit.

"Both." He said, "But I'm glad it all happened."

"When did we get to talking so mushy?" She asked. "I can remember a time in my life when you hated me."

"I never hated you. I just didn't understand you. But I do now."

"Good." She sat up and looked at his clock. "I have to go, honey." She said, getting up and beginning to get dressed. Will put his boxers and pajama pants on while she finished dressing.

Once she was fully clothed, he peaked out his bedroom door to make sure that Grace wasn't awake. Then he walked her to the front door and kissed her on the lips.

"I love you." He whispered, making sure nobody could hear him, but her.

"I love you too. Call me." She said and then she walked out the door and into the elevator. Once in the elevator, she turned back and smiled at him. They waved to one another as the doors closed.

Karen went back to her penthouse and crawled into her empty bed. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Will, on the other hand, picked the video tapes up off of the table and looked at them. He knew he should watch them, as her lawyer, but he felt wrong. He felt that as her lover, it wasn't something he should be seeing.

After battling with himself he finally realized that he needed to see the tapes. He walked over to the television and popped the first one in the VCR. He expected to see Stan and Karen, but instead, it was Stan and another woman. The tape showed them walking into the bedroom. He kissed her and they walked over to where the bed was. The camera didn't show the bed, he expected it wouldn't, but it showed the woman leaving the room a few hours later.

He switched the tapes and pushed play. This one showed Karen packing for their trip. Stan walked in and began to harass her. He heard the words and saw the love of his life being thrown around like she was worthless. He heard Stan call her a whore and a bitch. He listened to him tell her she was nothing. He then saw him throw her to the ground and kick her out of his way before exiting the room.

He noticed that Karen didn't move for a while and he reminded himself that this was in the past. Karen had just left his home and she was fine. Then he saw her slowly get up and walk out of camera range. After another moment she walked into the bathroom with a liquor bottle in her hand. The tape stopped there and he knew that this was all that they needed in court.

He didn't tell Karen, but this kind of thing could take at least a month to prepare. Stan had so many assets and businesses that it would take weeks to get it all straightened out. He knew that she could hold on. She was a strong woman.


	10. Chapter 10

A month had finally passed. Will had just about gotten all of Karen's papers and evidence in order. Stan still knew nothing about it. Will and Karen both agreed that it would be easier for them and harder on Stan if they had everything prepared before the divorce hearing. They didn't want Stan to have much time for it to sink in before they took him to court.

Will was taking Karen out this evening for their one month anniversary. He was taking her to a nice little restaurant about an hour away from the city. He didn't want anybody to see them together. And even if somebody did, they had gotten really good at just pretending to be friends who kind of hated each other. He wished more than anything that they could bring their relationship out into the open. Only a few months he figured.

Karen was having lunch with Jack. They didn't seem to spend as much time together since she was with Will. He also had a couple new boyfriends who occupied his time. Today, however, they made time for each other. They were best friends after all.

"Kare, are you feeling alright?" Jack asked as she sat without touching her salad.

"Yeah, honey, why?"

"I don't know. You just seem tired or something."

"I'm getting over the flu. I've just been dizzy and food doesn't look good right now." She said as she faked a smile. "I'm fine."

Jack knew she was hiding something. He knew her better than he knew anybody. He was bound and determined to figure it out.

"Are you sure it's the flu? Do you have anymore symptoms? I've been watching ER a lot so I know some stuff." He assured her, causing a giggle.

"I've been dizzy, no appetite, I've been throwing up a lot, and…oh my god." She said as she began to realize what might be going on.

"What's wrong?" He asked, startled.

"Honey, I think I might be…pregnant." She whispered. She hadn't had sex with Stan for months. The only possible father was Will. She got the dizzy feeling back and became nauseous. "Oh, I'm going to be sick." She said as she took a drink of her water.

"Karen, just breathe. This is great. We need to pick up a couple of tests. You know, like we did the last time you thought you were pregnant." He said, becoming very excited at the prospect of his best friend having a child.

"Maybe this is a false alarm like last time." She said, brightening up a little. Sure, she would love to have Will's baby, but not now. This wasn't the right time.

"Come on let's go do it now." He said while he jumped out of his chair and pulled her up by the hand.

"You want to do it now? I thought we were catching up." She said. She really didn't want to have to deal with this today. She was going out with Will later and she really didn't want to give him this kind of news. They had only been together for a month, and that was an affair. This was too soon.

"We can catch up in the limo. Come on." He said, dragging her out the door after she threw some money on the table.

About a half hour later they were sitting in Grace's office with their pregnancy tests. Jack was sitting at Karen's desk and she was sitting on his lap. They were flipping through a magazine together when the timer rang out. They jumped out of their seat. Jack ran over and checked his test.

"Well, again, nothing here." He said kind of sadly. His sadness quickly tapered off when he realized that she hadn't looked at her test yet. "Look at it Kare. I want to know." He said as he jumped up and down.

She smiled tensely and walked over to her test. She picked it up and stared at it for a moment before asking, "Jack what does blue mean?"

"Blue?" he asked as he looked at her excitedly. "Blue means you're pregnant. Is it blue?"

She walked over to the trash can and threw the test away without answering. She sat down at her desk and put her head in her hands. Jack watched and walked over to her. He pulled her into a hug before she came the closest he had ever seen her to crying. Without a warning she pushed him away and threw a glass off of her desk.

"Karen, calm down." Said Jack, a little frightened about where this was all headed. "Are you…"

"Yes, Jack, I'm pregnant." She turned around swiftly and looked him in the eye. "Jack I have to tell you something. I shouldn't, but I really need to get this off my chest."

"Sure, Kare, I won't tell anyone."

"I'm divorcing Stan."

"What? You're pregnant with his baby. Do you really want to do that?"

"The baby's not his, honey." She confessed. "I'm having an affair."

"What?"

"I'm fucking some other guy."

"Oh my god, who?" He asked. He couldn't believe his ears. He always thought that Stan and Karen loved each other. He also couldn't believe that she had chosen to tell someone. This was big.

"It doesn't matter. The point is I don't know what to do." She said while pacing back and forth. She stopped abruptly and turned to Jack. "Honey, you can't tell anyone about this. I don't want any proof that I violated the fidelity clause. Please."

"Karen, I swear. I won't tell anybody, but wow." He said. They stayed silent for a moment before Jack, again, took Karen in his arms. "I'll always be here for you, you know."

"Thanks honey." She smiled. "You better get out of here. You want plenty of time to get ready for your date tonight." She said as she pulled away from his embrace.

"Are you sure you don't need me here?"

"No, honey, I'll be alright, just as long as nobody finds out about this."

"You're secret's safe with me. I'll call you later." He said before walking out the door.

Karen stood in the middle of Grace's office feeling lost and confused. It felt really good to tell Jack her secret. Well, some of her secret. She didn't want to let out too many details quite yet.

She walked over and sat down at her desk as Grace walked through the door, returning from lunch with Will.

"Hey, Kare, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing here, honey." She replied while looking through a magazine.

"Are you sure? What's with the broken glass on the floor?" Grace asked as she kneeled down by Karen's trash can to clean it up. She stopped dead in her tracks when she glanced into the trash can. She stood up slowly and stared at Karen blankly. "Are you pregnant?" she asked, causing Karen's gaze to snap from the magazine.

"Why would you ask that?"

"There's a pregnancy test in your trash can. Are you?"

"I just had a few symptoms and I wanted to make sure. It's no big deal." She said, knowing how deceiving her answer was. She was careful to make sure that she didn't lie, though.

"Oh, okay." Said Grace as she walked over to her desk and began to work on a few sketches. A couple of hours later Karen left to get ready for her 'meeting.'


	11. Chapter 11

Karen picked Will up in her limo around seven o'clock that evening. They smiled at one another as he closed the door and the car took off. They raised the partition so they could speak without being overheard.

He leaned over and kissed her. She pulled away and looked into his eyes.

"I didn't know what to get you so I got you this." She said as she slid a gold ring on his right hand. "It's kind of like a promise."

"Karen I love it." He said, smiling. "We should have just gone shopping together." He said as he slid a silver ring with hearts onto her right hand. They laughed to one another. "I guess it's the only thing that felt right."

"I love you, honey." She said as she kissed him once more. "Now, where are we going?"

"You like Italian food right?"

"Yes."

"It's a really nice Italian place about an hour away. I've never been there, but I hear it's really good." He said, holding her hand.

"That sounds great."

They rode to the restaurant talking like they hadn't seen each other in years. He talked about his job and how hard it was to keep them a secret from Grace. She talked about how Stan was hardly home anymore. He went out with his mistress almost every night.

"Honey, I told Jack about the divorce." She admitted to Will as they began to eat their meal. "I also told him that I'm having an affair. I didn't say it was with you, but I needed to tell him."

"I can't believe you did that. Do you know how much this could hurt your case if anybody else finds out?" He angrily questioned. "What made you do that?"

"I don't know. After we took the pregnancy tests I kind of freaked out. He tried to comfort me and it all sort of spilled out."

"Whoa, pregnancy tests?"

"Yeah." She softly admitted.

"Please tell me Jack thought he was pregnant." Will said, obviously beginning to panic.

"Let me put it this way. Jack's stick was pink, mine was blue." She said. She really didn't want this to ruin their evening, but she knew that she had to tell him. It wasn't fair to keep this a secret from the love of her life.

"You're pregnant."

"I have a doctor's appointment in the morning just to make sure."

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way because I love you, but is it mine?"

"Of course it's yours. Who the hell else's would it be?"

"Why aren't you on the pill?"

"Stan and I tried for kids for years, but we never got pregnant. He already has kids so we just assumed that I couldn't. I didn't plan on anything like us happening so I never went back on the pill. I'm so sorry, honey."

"It's not your fault. We just weren't careful enough." He said, feeling oddly sleepy all of a sudden. "What do you want us to do?"

"I want to give Stan the papers. He doesn't have to know about the baby. If we play our cards right, we can get the divorce out of the way before I even start to show." She replied excitedly.

"Not telling him about an affair is one thing, but lying about a pregnancy? That just screams disaster, Karen."

"Maybe, but I want out. I can't stand him looking at me, hitting me, talking to me. I want to be with you. I love you." She reasoned. He looked at her and sighed. She could win him over anytime she wanted.

"I do have the papers ready at my office. If you want we can go and get them after dinner." He said.

"That would be nice." She said, smiling. "Now, can we get back to our dinner? I'm so sick of drama I could scream."

"I feel the same way." He replied, laughing a little under the slight pressure that formed behind his eyes. He was going to be a daddy and deep down he was thrilled. He didn't know what would happen when Karen told Stan, though. He knew she wanted to do it alone, but he had a bad feeling about it. He already mentally decided to tell Grace as much as Jack knew and they would all go over and help her tell Stan. He was not hurting her or his child.

Karen watched as all of Will's emotions played out over his face. She felt so guilty for not being more careful. She felt even guiltier about what she was putting Will through. He thought they were going out for a nice evening and here she was telling him that he was going to be a father.

"Will, I really am sorry." She said after moments of silence. He looked into her eyes.

"You shouldn't be. This baby could be a blessing in disguise. I'm already falling in love with the idea."

"That's good because I'm kind of excited." She smiled. They finished their dinner and decided that Will would fax the papers over to Stan's home office the next day.

They didn't make love that evening. All of the day's events were too much. They kissed longingly before Will stepped out of her limo. They each said an 'I love you' before he went up to his apartment and she went home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As soon as Will walked into the door, Grace popped out of the TV room. She had a look of horror on her face and he was immediately frightened for her. A few seconds later, Jack followed her.

"Will, you better be able to explain this." She said as she held up a blank video tape. She looked like she had been crying.

"What is that?"

"It's a security tape. Why didn't you tell us about Stan and Karen? How could you let him do that to her?" she screamed as she pushed him. "We're supposed to be her friends and here you are watching it on video tape. What kind of sick person are you Will?"

"She gave them to me so I could use them in her case against Stan. I'm her divorce lawyer." He reasoned. He had very rarely seen Grace this upset. "Sit down and I'll explain." He said before they all three sat on the couch. Will explained what had been going on in Karen's home for years and how she was leaving Stan. Jack said nothing about her affair. Will underestimated him. He really was her best friend.

After hearing the story Will told, Grace stood from the couch. She understood and she couldn't believe that this was happening to one of her closest friends.

"Are you okay, Gracie?" Will asked, grabbing her hand.

"No I'm not okay. How could we not have known?" she questioned as she began to lose control. "I saw her come into the office with bruises on her. Sometimes she wouldn't even come in to work at all. I just thought she was lazy, but what if he was hurting her. I never asked if she was okay, I just chalked it up to her being crazy."

"Grace it isn't your fault." Jack said, finally speaking after a long while of silence. "I should have known. We take showers together. Why didn't I push her to tell me? I saw her bruises too."

"You two are not to blame. Right now she needs us to be strong for her." Will said as he walked over to hang his coat up. "Tomorrow morning I'm faxing Stan the divorce papers. Karen said she wanted to deal with him alone, but I'm not taking that chance. We have to go over there and make sure she packs her things and gets out of there safely."

"Will we can't let him touch her." Jack said, springing up from his spot on the couch. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but she's pregnant."

'She told me she wasn't.' thought Grace, wondering why Karen lied to her. Come to think of it, she had never said that she wasn't pregnant.

"I know." Said Will. "That's why we are leaving for her house as soon as those papers are faxed."

They all agreed. They were going to be there for Karen when she needed them the most.


	12. Chapter 12

Stanley Walker's fax machine went off around noon the next day. He pulled the paper out and looked at it with confusion. His wife wanted a divorce?

"Karen, get your fat ass in here!" He yelled from the library. She was not getting out of this easily. As soon as she entered the room he shot her a look of fury, a look that she had seen way too many times before. "What the fuck is this? You want a divorce?"

"Stanley, we haven't been happy for a really long time. I just thought that maybe it would be the best thing for both of us." She tried to explain as he walked towards her. She began to back away, but he was too fast. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into the room while slamming the door and locking it.

Will, Grace, and Jack walked into the Walker penthouse. They heard what sounded like fighting before they heard a door slam and assumed that Stan knew about the divorce already. They rushed up the stairs and to the library, but the door was locked.

Inside the library, Karen was fighting off another beating from her soon to be ex-husband. He grabbed her by her wrists and slammed her into a bookcase. She tried to push him off of her, but he was too strong. She normally didn't fight him, but now she had her child to think about. She had to get away. He threw her to the ground and hit her hard in the face. She screamed at the contact. This was worse than ever.

Her three friends heard her scream and immediately tried to knock in the door. There wasn't a key or anything around so they had to settle for breaking it down. They yelled for Karen to hold on, before they all three bunched up and ran into the door. It didn't budge. Grace ran to find Rosario, who would have a key to the room, while Will and Jack continued to try and break the door down.

"Stan, get off of me!" She screamed as he continued to pin her to the ground, hitting her anywhere he could. All of a sudden, in one swift motion, he picked her up from the floor and threw her into the very door that Jack and Will were attempting to break down. Then he grabbed her by the hair and threw her back onto the floor. It was there that he did exactly what she had feared; he kicked her repeatedly in the stomach. She was on the verge of vomiting when the door flew open. Will and Rosario ran in the room and stood in front of Karen as Grace and Jack helped her get up from the floor.

Grace and Jack walked Karen out into the hallway as Rosario and Will continued to stare at Stan. No words were spoken. They wanted to make sure that he wouldn't hurt Karen in front of them before they walked into the hallway with the other three.

Karen was crying, which Grace and Jack had never witnessed, as Will walked over and took her into his arms. It was then that he remembered the baby. He looked down into her eyes and asked the silent question. She just shook her head in response.

"Guys, get the limo. We have to take her to the hospital." Will ordered. He then picked Karen up and carried her down the stairs. He could tell that she was in pain, even though she stopped letting the tears fall from her eyes.

Once outside, Will placed Karen into the limo before sitting down next to her. Jack and Grace joined them after Rosario agreed to stay and pack her employer's suitcases. Then they drove to the hospital.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

About two hours later, Karen awoke feeling empty and sore. She wasn't sure how long she had slept, but she knew exactly what had happened. She looked to her left side and found Will with his head on the bed next to her and her hand in his. She turned and found Jack on her other side, a mirror image of Will. Grace was in a chair at the foot of the bed. It looked like they had all fallen asleep with her. It made her feel loved when she realized what they had done to help her. She loved them all so much.

She decided to let them know that she was awake. It would be hard to face them and ask the already answered question, but she knew that sooner was better than later. That knowledge didn't make it too much easier.

She squeezed Will's hand and he jerked his head up. She smiled, a weak smile she knew, and he tried to return it. His was weak as well.

"How are you feeling?" He whispered, not wanting to break the dome of silence.

"A little sore, but I'll be alright." She said, looking into his eyes. "It's gone isn't it?"

"Yes." He replied, quietly. She nodded as if she already knew. Then she looked over to Jack, who was still sleeping. She squeezed his hand softly. He looked up and found her eyes instantly.

"Hey, Kare." He said, almost in tears. It was rare to see Jack so serious. "I'm so sorry I didn't know. I would have helped you."

"Honey, don't worry. It's over now." She said as she put a hand to his cheek. "Now, when can I get out of here?"

"They want to keep you for a few hours to make sure that you're alright. They said they'd give you some medicine for the pain before you leave." Will explained.

"Good. My stomach feels like it's on fire." She said, suddenly feeling even more heartbroken. She didn't let them see it though. She didn't want them to see her as a weak person.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later that evening Karen was released from the hospital. Her limo took them to Will and Grace's apartment where they met Rosario with some of Karen's clothing. They decided that she would stay with Jack since he was living alone. However, that evening they all four fell asleep together on Will and Grace's couch. None of them wanted to leave Karen's side.


	13. Chapter 13

Over the next few days, they all took turns staying home from work to be with Karen. She insisted that they go to work and leave her alone, but they all knew she needed someone.

About three days later it was Will's turn to stay home. He walked over to Jack's apartment at around nine o'clock to wake Karen up. She answered the door in her pajamas.

"Hey honey." She greeted as she leaned up and kissed him softly.

"Hi. How are you feeling?" He asked, keeping her held in his arms.

"I'm okay. How are you?" she said while looking into his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" he asked as they walked arm in arm over to his apartment. Once he closed the door she answered.

"Well, you lost someone too." She said, looking damaged.

"Karen, you don't have to worry about me. I wasn't the one who had to go through all of it."

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused. He sat down on the couch and pulled her down with him.

"When I walked into that library, I didn't know what to do. I mean, I knew what was going on, but… you've just had to deal with so much."

"Will, the easiest way for me to get over it is to not dwell on it. I'm fine. I was only a month pregnant and I only knew about it for two days. I don't think that either of us had time to get too attached."

"You mean you really are fine?" he asked. He understood exactly what she was saying, even though he had never really thought about it.

"Yeah, honey." She replied, leaning over to kiss him. He pulled her closer with his hand on the back of her neck.

They both knew that she shouldn't make love, but they missed each other so much. With Grace and Jack around constantly, it was hard for them to get any alone time. They knew they could tell their friends at any time, but they didn't want to have to deal with the reactions they would get. They would tell them when the time was right.

Will deepened the kiss and laid Karen on her back, positioning himself on top of her. He began to make his way down her neck. She knew she had to say something when his hand started playing with the tie on her pajama pants.

"Will," she began, breathing heavily. "I'm not supposed to have sex for a week."

He slowed himself, but continued to kiss his way down her chest, unbuttoning her shirt on the way. Once he reached the last button he kissed her stomach and looked up into her eyes.

"Do you know how much I love you?" He asked with a smile.

She returned the smile before saying, "Enough to wait a week for sex." She then began buttoning her shirt back up, giving him a sweet smile.

Will just stared at her beautiful face. She really was the love of his life. He wanted to be with her forever. He wanted to marry her and have a child. He knew that his wishes were a long shot right now, but he still couldn't help thinking about their future together.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the ringing of the phone. He stood from the couch and went to answer it. Karen watched as his face went from indifference to confusion. Who the hell was he talking to?

"Karen," Will began as he hung up the phone. "I have some news." He sat down on the couch and took her hands into his. "Stan had a heart attack. He's dead."

"What?" She whispered, shocked. "But he…I mean our court date. Oh my God."

"They found him in his office this morning."

"But what about our divorce?" she asked, not knowing what to say.

"There is no divorce, Karen, he's dead." He replied, helping her soak it all in.

"I can't believe it. I mean, I know I shouldn't but I feel kind of sad." She said. All of a sudden she looked up into his eyes. "Honey, if Stan's dead then what happens to me?"

"He didn't have a will so legally everything goes to his wife. You get everything." He said. He could tell that she wanted to be happy, but something was holding her back. "What is it?"

"I don't know, honey. It's just that it's all over. I had prepared myself to fight, but he's gone."

"Yeah, sweetie, he's gone." He said as he reached over and hugged her. She clung to him longingly. They stayed in each other's arms until the door flew open, revealing Jack and Grace.

"Hi guys. What's going on?" Grace said as she closed the door and hung up her coat.

"Stan's dead." Karen declared. They both looked at her with shocked expressions on their faces.

"Kare, is this good or bad?" Jack asked as he sat down on the other side of her.

"Well, he didn't have a will so I get everything. I guess you could say that that's good." She replied. They all stayed silent for a while. They weren't sure what to say at a time like this. It was Will who broke the silence.

"Why don't we go out tonight? We can't just stay in this apartment and mope around."

"Will, her husband just passed away. Why would we want to go out?" Grace complained.

"No, honey, he's right. Let's go out and forget everything, just for tonight." Karen said while standing up to meet Grace. "I just want to laugh again, okay? Don't worry, I'll pay." She smiled.

"Fine let's go." Grace said.

"Come on Poodle let's go get ready." Karen said, pulling him out the door.

"She seems to be doing better." Said Grace after the door closed. "How did you know she wanted to go out?"

"I guess it was just a hunch. I really got to know her when we went to Alan's wedding." He replied, shrugging it off.

"You two _have_ been acting kind of weird towards each other since you got back. How close did you get?" She asked before she walked back to her room to get changed.

"Oh, Gracie, you have no idea." He said as he also went to change his clothes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After a few nights of fun and happiness, Karen decided that she would return to work. She didn't want her friends fussing over her all the time. And Grace would be there with her all day so she convinced them that it was the right decision. Plus, she didn't feel like pretending to mourn the death of her husband. She felt horrible that she didn't care enough to want to mourn him.

It was around noon and Karen decided that she would go to lunch. Grace was reluctant to let her go, but she ultimately did. What she didn't know is that all Karen wanted to do was go and visit her lover.

She walked into Will's office a little bit later to find him sitting at his desk getting ready to eat a salad. As soon as she closed the door he smiled at her. It was so good to see her face. She seemed like she was getting back on track and that made him overly happy.

"Hey Kare, what's up?"

"Oh nothing much, honey." She said as she took her coat off and pulled down the blinds next to his door. "I just came to see what you were up to." She winked. Then she tried to lock the door, but soon realized that it wouldn't lock. "Is this broken?"

"Yeah." He replied as he walked over and pulled her close. He ran his hands up and down the sides of her body. "I think we could go without being disturbed though." He said before he kissed her passionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

He reached under her skirt and pulled her panties down her legs. She stepped out of them and brought his mouth to hers once again as she undid his pants. Once she pushed his pants down, she gently shoved him into one of his office chairs.

Before he knew it she was straddling him. He began to kiss down her neck and unbuttoned her shirt at lightning speed. He was just getting ready to slip his boxers off when the unspeakable happened. Grace walked through the door.

"Do you want to go to lunch?" she asked before she looked up from her paper. "What the hell is this?!" she yelled. Will and Karen jumped out of the chair.

Nobody spoke for what seemed like an eternity. Karen hurriedly buttoned her shirt while Will pulled his pants up. They all stared at one another before an angry Grace broke the silence.

"Seriously, what the hell is going on?"

"Grace, we can explain everything." Will began, but was quickly cut off.

"I think you better!" She yelled. "I don't know who you two think you are. How long have you been fucking her Will?"

"It's not considered fucking when you're in love Grace." He shouted in return.

"Are you kidding me? You're gay Will. And you can't stand Karen. No, no, no." She said, seeming to panic as she paced in front of him. Then she stopped in her tracks. "How long have you two been…together?' She asked a little more calmly.

"Ever since we went to the wedding." He replied. Karen hadn't said anything since Grace walked in. She knew that she would be upset when she found out, but she really didn't want to have to deal with this yet. Instead of helping Will explain, she coward behind him.

"And you didn't tell me? Why? Was it just so much fun to keep it in the dark?" she continued to shout. She stood still to think for a moment before everything fell into place. "Oh my God, the baby was yours." She concluded while she looked into Will's eyes, knowingly. She couldn't take it anymore. She turned on her heel and walked out the door.

Will and Karen stood still for a moment. Neither of them wanted to break the silence that had taken over the office. Karen decided that it would be best if she left.

"Honey, I'd better go." She said as she walked over to where her panties lay on the floor and picked them up. She slipped them on and adjusted her clothes while she spoke. "I didn't mean to fuck up your relationship with Grace. I'm so sorry." She spoke her apology as she looked into his eyes. He didn't seem too shaken by their confrontation.

"Karen, I love you. You have nothing to apologize for, okay. Grace and I have a friendship that can never be broken. She will just have to get over it and realize that we are in love."

"Maybe I shouldn't go back to work today."

"Give her a little bit to cool down. I know Grace, she'll need some time to stew." He said as he smiled a little. "Don't worry."

"Okay, honey." She said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him softly. "I think maybe I should go talk to Jack. You know, tell him before Grace gets the chance. I'd much rather he heard it from me."

"I think that's a good idea. And I'll talk to Grace when she comes home tonight."

"Okay. Make sure you come over and tell me how it goes. I'll still be at Jack's unless he doesn't take the news very well."

"I will. And I'm sure everything will be fine." He said before he kissed her once again and watched her walk out his office door.


	14. Chapter 14

"Hi, Kare." Said Jack as Karen walked through the door of his apartment. "What are you doing home so early?"

"Honey, I need to talk to you about something." She said, sitting down next to him on his couch where he was flipping through a magazine.

"Is it serious? Are you okay?" He said, slightly panicked. It had only been a little over a week since her miscarriage and he still wasn't sure how fragile she may be.

"I'm fine, Poodle." She said, not really knowing where to begin. "Okay, I don't want you to overreact about this. Just listen to me and try to understand. Please don't be angry with me." She began.

"Karen, I love you. I could never really be angry with you." He said, trying to make her feel better. He could tell how hard it was for her.

"I'm just going to say it. Will and I are lovers. He was the father of my baby and we've been together since Alan's wedding." She said quickly. Jack was, oddly, speechless.

"So, Will sleeps with women now?"

"No, honey, just me." She replied, placing her hand on top of his.

"Oh." He said. He was obviously trying to make since of this whole situation. He wasn't sure how to feel. He should have been angry at them for lying, but for some reason he felt excited for them.

"Jackie, please don't hate me. I know this is strange, but it just happened. It was kind of like a really lucky accident, you know?" she tried to explain.

"He was who you were having the affair with. Wow, I did not see this coming." He said, chuckling a little. Karen was very confused. He seemed happy.

"I don't understand this reaction."

"I think I'm happy for you, Karebear. I mean let's face it, Will hasn't been able to get a man since he got dumped." He said, surprising himself as well as Karen. "So, are you two in love?"

"Yeah." She replied, shyly.

"Well, now that you own everything of Stan's, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

"Are you two going to get married?"

"Well, I don't know."

"Are you going to try for another baby?"

"I don't know."

"Are you two going to move into your manse together?"

"Honey, I don't know. What's with all the questions?" She asked, feeling oddly nervous.

"Sorry, I'm just so excited." He said as he leaned over and hugged her. She hugged him back and smiled.

"I'm so glad, Poodle." She said. "Now all we have to do is get Grace on board and everything will be perfect."

"What's wrong with G?"

"She's really mad at us for lying to her. Will is going to talk to her when he gets home from work."

"She's just mad that it isn't her. She'll get over it so don't worry."

"I hope you're right, honey." She said, suddenly glad that she had told Jack. He always knew what to say to make her feel better. "Listen, all this confessing makes me want to go shopping. You want to go to Barney's or something?"

"I thought you'd never ask." He replied as they jumped off the couch and ran out the door for some thousand dollar shopping. The only thing left to do was get Grace to understand. For now, she would leave that to Will.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Will came home early to find his apartment empty. He wanted to make sure that he was home before Grace so he could cook and use the food to help reel her in. She was very stubborn, but as soon as somebody put food in front of her face, she would give in easily. He just hoped that that was the case in this situation.

Grace walked through the door as soon as Will had set the table. He cooked linguini with clam sauce and placed a couple of glasses of red wine on the table. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the arrangement. Will rushed over to her and grabbed her hands.

"Gracie I know you're really mad at me, but please just let me explain what happened." He said as he tried to walk her over to the table.

"Will, food is not going to work this time. You lied to me." She said. "I trusted you and our friendship and you blew it."

"We didn't do it to hurt you. In fact, that's the reason we didn't want to lie in the first place." He began. He was glad that she didn't stop him so he quickly continued. "We felt like it was the only thing to do."

"Since when is lying the right thing to do?" she asked.

"We didn't want there to be proof that Karen violated her fidelity clause. She was so scared that Stan would leave her with nothing she didn't even want to divorce him in the first place. What did you expect me to tell her?"

Grace looked shocked. She couldn't believe that Karen would really stay with a man who beat her for money. Actually, yes she could. It was then that she really understood the gravity of this situation. Karen loved Will so much that she would risk giving up her marriage and her money to be with him.

"I don't know what to say." Grace said. She really didn't know what to say. "Do you two really love each other?" she asked. Will gave her a soft smile.

"Yes we do." He said. "I love her more than anything Grace. Please don't be mad at us for falling in love. Sometimes it's an unexpected thing."

"I'm sorry. I kind of freaked out." She said. She smiled quickly before adding, "But you have to admit, that was not the best way to find out."

They laughed a little before walking over to the table. Now that he had her making jokes, he knew that this was going to be easy. He would never doubt Karen's love for him, but he would also never doubt Grace's love for him.

"Why don't we eat and I'll explain everything." He said as they took a seat at the table.

"Good. Just please leave out the stuff that I can't listen to while I'm eating." She replied, causing Will to laugh. They sat down to dinner where he was true to his word. He told her everything from the beginning to the end. She listened and tried not to feel angry. She just hoped that maybe Karen was the right person for him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After a few hours of shopping, Jack and Karen returned to his apartment. She wasn't ready to go home yet and he didn't push the issue. He liked the fact that she was living with him.

"How do you think Grace took it?" She asked as they walked through his door.

"I'm sure she's fine. You're lover and his wife have a sick relationship that can never be broken." He replied. They giggled and went to the bedroom to put their bags of clothing away. After a few moments of happy silence Jack decided to ask a question that had been confusing him for a while. "Kare, why haven't you been drinking or taking any pills?" She snapped her head towards him and he regretted asking. He knew she would be angry, but he couldn't help himself.

"Poodle, I'm happy. I don't need to drink." She said leaving Jack surprised that she didn't yell at him.

"I'm sorry if I offended you." He said. He wanted to make sure that the air was completely clear.

"You didn't offend me, honey. You were just curious." She said as she started to try on a new pair of shoes. "What do you think about these?"

"They make your legs look thinner and longer." He said, happy that she really wasn't offended. She had changed since she was with Will. It was a good change too. She was still the same Karen, but she seemed to care a little more about other people's feelings. She pulled a few men's sweaters and pairs of pants out of one of her bags and laid them on the bed.

"Do you think Will would like these?" She asked, looking at the clothing. "I tried to find something I could see him wearing, but he's in a suit most of the time. I think he'll like this tie though." She said as she pulled a deep blue tie from the bag. Jack just started giggling and smiling.

"You're just like a teenager Karen." He said, causing her to giggle as well.

"I guess I am." She said as she put everything back in the bag. Just then there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it honey. It's probably Will." She said as she rushed from the room. Jack couldn't help but laugh at her excitement. He wasn't sure if he had ever seen her move that fast.

Karen opened the door to reveal Will and Grace. She stood motionless for a moment before Grace stepped forward and hugged her. She stood still for a moment before hugging her back. After pulling away, Grace looked into Karen's eyes and spoke.

"Karen, I'm really sorry about the way I reacted." She said.

"Hey, don't apologize. Let's all just get over it." Grace smiled at her. "Who wants to go out?" She said. Jack ran from his bedroom and stopped in his tracks.

"There's a new gay bar downtown. I'll be ready in five minutes." He said before retreating to his bedroom. They all laughed before Grace went back to her apartment to get ready too.

"What did I tell you? Grace finally came around." said Will as he held Karen in his arms. He leaned down to her face and kissed her softly. She smiled after they broke apart and hugged him tighter.

"Oh, honey, I have a present for you." She said as she rushed into Jack's room. He was changing, but neither of them cared. Will just laughed as she closed the door and handed him a bag of clothes.

"You didn't have to buy me anything. I'm planning on sleeping with you tonight anyways." He said, causing her to laugh at him.

"I know, but I saw all this stuff that reminded me of you and I had to buy it." She said. She smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her once again. He sucked on her bottom lip before pulling away. "I don't think I can wait until later."

"Do you think they'd mind if we just stayed here?" he asked.

"I think so. But won't the wait just make it better?"

"Fine, then." He said as he leaned closer to her ear. "Make sure you wear a skirt. If I have to wait until later, I want to at least be able to look at your legs."

"Honey, you are such a pervert." She said, playfully slapping him away. "We'll meet you in the hallway in a few minutes." She said before she walked into the bedroom so Jack could dress her.


	15. Chapter 15

The bar was crowded, smoky, and full of available men and women. Too bad only Jack was benefiting from this particular atmosphere, it was a gay bar. They sat down on a couch in the back of the room as Jack looked around the dance floor for Mr. Right Now.

"Will, do you want to make a round with me?" Jack asked as he stood and waited for Will to join him on the dance floor.

"No, I've already got someone. I'll just stay over here." He replied while putting his arm around Karen.

"No, honey, go. I don't mind." She said as she stood up. "Maybe Gracie and I will dance too." She said as she questioningly looked at Grace.

"Yeah, maybe we will." Grace said as she stood up and took Karen's hand. The guys watched as they went to the dance floor and began to dance together. They knew that the girls liked to act like lesbians when they went to gay bars. None of them were really sure why.

"See, Karen doesn't mind. Let's go." said Jack as he and Will chose the opposite corner of the dance floor.

After about an hour of drinking and dancing, Jack had found a man and Will was back at the couch watching Karen and Grace dance together. He watched every movement that Karen made. The way her hips moved when she spun around. He wanted her then and for the rest of his life.

"Hey, honey." Karen said as she and Grace walked over to Will. She turned to Grace. "Thanks for joining me, Gracie. That was fun."

"Anytime, Kare." She replied as she leaned in and pecked Karen's lips. They went to sit in their original seats. Will leaned over and whispered into Karen's ear.

"Let's go back to my place." He whispered. After pulling away, he looked into her eyes and smiled. She smiled back and looked over to Grace.

"We're going to head back. I'll leave the limo here for you and Jackie." She said as she and Will stood, took each other's hands and walked out the door of the bar. Grace just smiled as she watched after them. They were such an adorable couple.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They rushed through Will's front door, continuing the lip lock that they began in the elevator. Karen closed the door by pushing Will into it as he forced his tongue into her mouth. They kicked off their shoes and she sighed heavily as he began leading her into his bedroom.

They closed the door and Karen pushed him onto the bed and climbed on top of him. She pulled his brand new shirt off over his head and kissed his neck. She made her way down his chest and began removing his pants while continuing her kiss.

As soon as she removed his pants he pulled her face up to meet his. He lifted her shirt off and kissed her deeply. He ran his hands over her back and unzipped her skirt. He rolled them over so she was lying underneath him and kissed her neck until she felt a small hickey forming. He then moved downward until he was right at her bellybutton before he removed her skirt. He looked up into her eyes before taking her panties down too.

She began to feel nervous as his lips brushed her inner thigh. In her entire adult life she had never let a man put his mouth on her. All of the men she had been with were either disgusted by the thought or too worried about their own needs so they never even tried. She wasn't sure what to expect. For the first time in her life, Karen Walker felt uneasy about sex.

Just as Will was about to put his mouth to her, she gently pushed him away. He was taken aback by her reaction. He looked up into her eyes and saw that she seemed nervous.

"What's wrong sweetie?" He asked, never moving from his position.

"You're going to laugh at me." She said as she looked at the dark eyed man between her legs.

"What happened to you telling me anything?"

"Okay, I've just never done this before." She said, waving her finger down towards him. Memories of her past flooded her mind.

"Never?" he asked. He carried a shocked expression. Then he smiled at her. "It's okay. I've only had sex with one woman before you. I've never done this before either." She smiled back at him and giggled.

"Honey, we're having a conversation about oral sex with your face between my legs." She said. He laughed too and kissed her thigh again. She tensed up, but he immediately tried to calm her fears.

"Don't worry. Just lay back and let me work." He said. She smiled and did as he said. She didn't know why she was making a big deal out of this. It wasn't like this kind of thing was unheard of.

All of her thoughts subsided as Will put his lips on her. She gasped as he began to suck and lick. He teased her for a moment before he pushed his tongue inside of her. She cried out and grasped the sheets beneath her with white knuckled fists.

She arched her back as his tongue swirled madly inside her. He brought his hand up to her opening and replaced his tongue with two fingers. He ran them in and out while he sucked on her clit. She almost screamed when he added a third finger. Her breathing was heavy and her heart was pounding. She came with little warning as Will continued his 'work.'

He kissed all the way up the length of her body until he reached her neck. She still couldn't get control of her breathing as he leaned down to whisper into her ear.

"Was it anything like you thought?" he whispered while sucking on her earlobe.

She responded by reaching down his boxers and taking him in her hand. He sighed as she began running her hand up and down his shaft. She rolled them over and pulled his boxers off of his body.

She lowered herself down to him and looked him in the eye. She kissed all around him before gradually taking him in her mouth. Now it was his turn to cry out. She slowly licked all around him as she sensually ran her mouth up and down. She looked up to his face and loved the fact that she could make him feel this out of control. He ran his fingers through her hair as she began to suck, hard. He thought he was going to explode right then and there.

Before he let himself go, he stopped Karen from sending him over the edge.

"What's wrong, honey?" she asked as he pulled her mouth off of him.

"I want to come with you." He said. She unclasped her bra and threw it to the floor. Then she lay on top of him, pressing her body to his chest. He quickly rolled them over and pounded into her with such force that she felt like she could pass out at any moment.

She rolled them over so she could be on top. He wanted to overpower her so he rolled them over once more. The next thing they knew, her back hit the floor pushing him deeper into her.

He pushed harder, feeling her rub against him. The floor felt cold on her back and she could feel herself sliding against it as sweat poured from her body. She pulled him deeper as she wrapped her legs tighter around his waist.

They came at the exact same time, screaming each other's names into the darkness of the bedroom. He collapsed on top of her and lazily kissed her neck. He began to pull out, but she stopped him.

"No. Stay inside me for a second." She whispered as she pulled him closer. He complied and kissed her lips softly. "I love you so much Will." She said after a moment of silence.

"I love you too Kare." He said before she allowed him to pull out. They lay next to one another on the hard floor of the bedroom while they looked at the ceiling. Karen rolled over on top of Will and kissed him deeply. She pulled away and looked into his eyes. He smiled and began to speak. "Will you move in with me?"

"You want me to live here? What about Grace?" she asked, beaming. She loved the fact that he wanted to take the next step in their relationship. They had only been together romantically for two months, but they both felt that this was right.

"She can stay here until she finds somewhere else to live."

"I don't know, honey. Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure, unless you want to move back into your manse." He said.

"No, honey, I want to live with you. But your place is so small. Why don't you move in with me?" she asked, hoping he would say yes.

"I couldn't let you pay for our home. And I don't think I could afford to pay for half."

"Neither of us would be paying for anything. All my money used to be Stan's money. So technically he is paying for it. Come live with me, honey." She said. She hated the idea of moving out of her manse. Where would she put all of her clothes and shoes? She had way too many things to move out.

"You know what, let's do it."

"Really?" she excitedly asked. She kissed him and smiled.

"Yeah, we can start moving my things over this weekend if that's okay."

"It's perfect." She said. "Now, if we don't get off this floor we are going to be so sore in the morning."

"My thoughts exactly." He replied as they stood and got into his bed. They cuddled close and fell asleep with thoughts of happiness invading their dreams.


	16. Chapter 16

"You two are moving in together?" Grace excitedly asked over breakfast. "When is this happening?"

"Will's bringing his stuff over this weekend." Karen replied as Will placed a plate of pancakes on the table in front of her.

"This is great." She said. "Wait, where am I going to live?" She asked after a moment. Will walked over with his plate and sat in between the two women.

"Grace you can still live here."

"No I can't. I can't afford this place without a roommate."

"Honey, why don't you ask Jack to move in with you?" Karen jumped in.

"Are you kidding? I need a roommate, not a pet." She said, causing everyone to laugh. After a moment she lifted her head. "You know, that may not be a bad idea. We'll have to set some ground rules, but I think we could work that out." Just then Jack walked in the door.

"Hey ladies…and Grace." He said as he walked over to the table and sat next to Karen. She put her hand on his thigh and he put his arm around her shoulders, resting his hand on her breast. "What are we talking about?"

"Jack, how would you like to move in with me?" Grace asked, knowing that he would eventually say yes. Either way Will would be paying for half of the rent.

"Why? Where are you moving to?"

"I'm staying here. Will is moving in to Karen's manse."

"What? Oh my gosh guys, that's great. Will, you proposed?"

"No."

"Oh." He said. Then he brightened up. "Kare, you proposed?"

"No, honey, we're just moving in together."

"This is so great! When is this happening?"

"This weekend." Replied Karen, excitedly. "Poodle, you can come over and help us if you want. You too, Gracie."

They both muttered lazy excuses not to and went on with their breakfasts. Karen and Will looked at each other and smiled. They were going to move forward with their relationship and their best friends were happy for them. Life was good.

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Will and Karen had been living together for two weeks and things couldn't possible have been any better. They came home every evening after work and ate dinner together. After dinner they may have gone to a movie. Sometimes they would just go out and have fun, either the two if them or with Jack and Grace. But a lot of the time they would just stay home and spend time with one another.

On one of the occasions that they were home alone, Will decided to voice something that had been on his mind a lot lately. They were sitting on the couch together, cuddling and watching the lit fireplace.

"Karen?"

"Yeah, honey?"

"Have you ever thought about trying for another baby?" he asked. She didn't move for a moment and he began to regret ever bringing up the subject. Maybe it was too soon to try for another baby.

"You want to have a baby with me? On purpose this time?" she asked while looking up into his eyes.

"Only if it's what you want. I just thought that maybe we were ready for something like this." He said. He really hoped that this was what she wanted too. He didn't think he would ever find another woman that he wanted this with more than Karen. He knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with her.

"Let's do it." She said smiling. "Let's have a baby." He hugged her closer with joy and kissed her hard on the lips. She jumped off of the couch and pulled him up with her. "We should get started." She said before she led him upstairs.

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Life was like a fairytale. They were living together and now they were trying for a baby. They were starting a family together and they were indelibly happy.

Karen was at work one afternoon, a month or so after she and Will decided to have a baby. Grace was driving her crazy with questions. She wanted to know what made them decide to have a baby, why they weren't getting married, if she would answer the phone. She just wanted to live in the moment and be happy. Grace, however, wanted a written plan of her future.

"Grace, honey, could you please just let us go with the flow?" she asked after another bought of questioning. "And change your shoes."

"I'm just so excited for you." She said as she made her way over to her assistant's desk. Before she could continue her explanation, a man stepped in the door. He was an older man with dark eyes. "Hello, can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm looking for a Karen Delaney." He said while eyeing the small brunette across from him. Grace looked between them and walked over to her desk as Karen looked up from her magazine.

"Karen Walker. Who are you?"

"Don't tell me you don't remember. It's me, Bernie." He said, holding his arms out for a hug. She looked at him with a sickening glare. Grace took note of this and watched their exchange. "What, no hug?"

"Grace, I'm going to see Will. I'll see you tomorrow." She said as she walked over to get her purse off of the coat rack. Bernie spoke before she could walk out the door.

"Come on, Karey. Haven't you missed me?" He asked. Karen stopped in her tracks at her long hated nickname and looked straight into his eyes.

"Don't you dare call me that." She spoke harshly. "I told you to stay away from me."

"At least talk to me for five seconds." He said as he grabbed her wrist before she could walk away. The contact made her flinch and she pulled her hand away quickly.

"Get your filthy hands off of me and get the fuck out of my life!" She shouted before she walked out the door and was off to Will's office.

"Is she always like this?" asked Bernie as he walked over to the redhead. She looked at him with suspicious eyes before answering.

"No. She usually just unhinges her jaw and swallows her prey whole." She responded carefully. "Who are you exactly?"

"I'm Karen's ex-stepfather, Bernie. I was with her mom until about a year after Karen left home. She was about sixteen I think."

"Well, I'm Grace. It's nice to meet you, but you should probably be going." She said, walking into the swatch room.

He walked towards the door, but stopped. He looked at Karen's desk and noticed that she had forgotten her wallet. Instead of leaving it on her desk, he picked it up and decided that he should return it. What kind of stepfather would he be if he didn't?


	17. Chapter 17

Will could hear the clicking of expensive heels making their way down the hall outside his office door. He knew it was Karen. She had an unmistakable stride. She burst through the door, locked it, and pulled down the blinds.

Will looked at her with a confused stare. Then he saw her tears and realized that this was not one of her fun midday visits. He quickly stood and took her in his arms. She cried harder at the physical contact and enveloped him in a tight hug.

"What happened?" he asked when he heard her begin to calm down. He pulled her face back and kissed her lips softly, trying to take some of her pain.

"Honey, he found me. He was at Grace's office. He just walked in and, and…" She stuttered hysterically. He pulled her back into a hug and calmed her down a little bit more before walking her over to his chair. He sat her down and kneeled in front of her so he could look into her eyes.

"I'm here now, okay. Tell me what happened." He said as he took her hands in his. She straightened up and wiped the tears from her face before placing her hands back in between Will's grasp.

"My mother's ex-husband found me." She said as she looked deep into his eyes. She didn't want to have to tell him this particular story from her past. "Okay, listen. I have never told another person about this, ever. I will tell you, but you have to keep your mouth shut after I do." He nodded. He understood the relationship they had and he knew that she held a high level of trust in him. He would never do anything to jeopardize that.

"I promise." He said. She looked at him as if she were about to begin, but she quickly stopped herself. She didn't know where to start. She scooted out of the chair and sat in front of him on the floor. She took a deep breath.

"My mother met Bernie when I was about thirteen years old. He was the only real father I knew. Mine died when I was seven. Bernie and mom got married about a year after they met and everything was fine for a while." She said as she looked down at their intertwined hands. She continued without looking up.

"Sometime after my fourteenth birthday, he was a lot more affectionate towards me. Mom said it was just the way a stepfather treats his stepdaughter, but it felt wrong. I asked him to stop, that I didn't like to be touched and he did stop, for a while. But one night when my mom was pulling a con on some man that lived a few counties over, he came into my room when I was reading a book and…well he…he put his hands all over me." She finally admitted, sniffling through her tears. "He wouldn't stop, no matter how loud I screamed and how hard I fought." She stopped and looked up into his eyes. "I didn't want it to happen. I was fucking fourteen years old!" She said. Will couldn't help himself. He reached up and put his hand on her cheek.

"After that, every time my mom was gone he would do things to me. He never would try to have sex with me because I was old enough to get pregnant and he didn't want that. But he would put his fingers in me and he'd put his mouth on me and…I just couldn't handle it anymore. I waited for it to stop for two years. When it didn't, I left home and made sure that he couldn't find me. Honey, I thought that part of my life was over." She said as she leaned forward and clung to him. He held her while she cried.

They sat on the floor of Will's office for almost an hour and a half. Neither of them spoke; they didn't feel that words were needed. Without warning, Karen stood from Will's embrace.

"Do you think you could take the rest of the day off and come home with me?" she asked as he stood.

"Of course I can. Let me just shut down my computer and grab my briefcase." He said as gathered his paperwork.

Karen watched him as he got ready to leave. She loved him in a new way after her confession. He didn't react harshly like she had expected. All he did was support her and her pain. What he didn't know was that she had been supporting her pain too. She had six martinis on the short ride to his office. Memories were just too much for her, especially these ones.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After they got home Will and Karen walked into the TV room and flopped down on the couch. She kicked her shoes off and he pulled her feet up onto his lap so he could massage them. She sighed and laid her head back.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. She just shook her head.

"No, honey, it's all over. I want to forget about it." She said as she stood and walked over to the mini-bar and poured herself a strong drink. Will watched her in fascination as she downed the drink and poured herself another.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he walked over to her and pulled the drink from her lips. She gave him a dirty look.

"I'm having a drink. What's the problem?" She asked as she tried to get the glass back from his hands. He pulled it away from her hand and walked through the house and into the kitchen. She followed closely behind as he walked over to the counter and dumped the contents of the glass into the sink. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She demanded angrily. He had never taken to her so coldly. They hadn't really fought much since they got together so this was new territory. She was brought from her inquiry when the glass smashed at her bare feet.

"What's wrong with me?! What's wrong with you?!" He shouted angrily. "We're trying to have a baby together and you want to drink like it's only your life that matters."

"Will, it was just a couple of drinks. I'm not doing anything wrong. Stop acting so crazy."

"How many did you have before you came to my office today?" He asked coldly.

"Does that really matter? I'm a little messed up right now, okay." She said as she tried to walk away from him. Angry men always made her nervous, for very good reasons. She expected him to grab her arm roughly and turn her around, but she remembered that he wasn't like that. She remembered how much he loved her so she just stopped walking when he asked her again.

"How many, Kare?" he repeated. She turned around to face him with tears in her eyes before replying.

"Like five or six." She replied quietly.

"What?" he asked, shocked. "Karen, I thought you quit drinking so much. We talked about this. A few drinks are okay, but you can't drink your feelings away. It's not healthy and…when you do that you don't need me." She was taken aback by his untimely confession.

"Honey, how can you think I don't need you?" She asked as she walked over to him.

"Look, I know you're hurting right now. I know that your past hurts you sometimes, but I love you too much to let it eat you alive."

"Please don't be angry with me."

"I'm not angry with you. I guess I'm just mad at everything right now." He said as he took her hands in his. "I'm mad at your stepfather. I'm mad at everyone who has ever hurt you."

"But it's all in the past. I mean, yeah it hurts sometimes, but it hasn't completely scarred me for every day of my life. I just had a rough day." She said. She pulled his face upward so her eyes met his. "And I will always need you. You're like my other half."

He gave her a weak smile and kissed her lips softly, gently. They embraced one another for a few moments before she pulled away. She smiled a little before looking at the floor and chuckling a little.

"I guess we should clean up this glass." She said as she bent down and started picking up the big shards. Will walked over and got the broom and dustpan from the closet.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you." He said. Without looking up at him she smiled.

"You wouldn't have if you didn't care." She replied. They finished cleaning up the glass and walked hand in hand up the stairs to their bedroom. They fell asleep quickly, wanting the day to be over. They only hoped that the future would be a little more promising for them.


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning Karen woke up feeling extremely ill. She felt dizzy and knew that if she moved too quickly she would throw up. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to try to drink away her emotions. But she knew that she could hold her liquor a lot better than that. She tried to roll over slowly but quickly regretted that decision because her stomach began to swim. She ran to the bathroom and cleaned out the contents of her stomach.

Will felt the bed move as Karen jumped up and ran for the bathroom. He stared after her questioningly before he heard vomiting. He stood and hurried into the bathroom to find her sitting on the floor against the wall. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were watering. He rushed to her side.

"Are you alright?" He asked as she steadied her breathing.

"Oh, honey, I don't know. That was disgusting." She said. He laughed a little as he helped her off of the floor. She went to the sink and began brushing her teeth. Will was beginning to get excited.

"Karen, do you think this is morning sickness? Are you pregnant?" he asked, almost jumping for joy. She rolled her eyes and spit some toothpaste into the sink.

"I doubt it. I probably just caught some flu or something." She replied before finishing her task. Will desperately wanted to believe that she was possibly pregnant so he pulled a test out of the drawer.

"Take this just to make sure. Please." He said as he thrust the test into her hands. She gave him a look of humor.

"Did you stock up on these things?" she asked as she opened the package. He laughed.

"I just don't want to waste any time." He replied, excitedly. "Now come on, pee on it."

"Well get out of here. I'd rather do it alone." She smirked as she pushed him out the door.

About two minutes later Will was pacing outside the bathroom. Karen had yet to come out and it was making him overly anxious. What could be taking so long? He just hoped that she would hurry.

A few seconds later Karen opened the door with tears in her eyes. He quickly walked up to her and wrapped her in a warm embrace. He had no idea why she was crying, but he knew that she needed some kind of reassurance.

"Its okay, Kare, we'll keep trying." He said, trying to comfort her. Suddenly he felt her begin to shake in his arms. It didn't take him long to realize that she was no longer crying, she was laughing. "What is it?"

"I wasn't crying because I was sad. I'm happy. We're having a baby, honey." She said as she began jumping up and down.

"What?" he shrieked and began to jump with her. He kissed her hard on the mouth and hugged her giggling body. "I love you so much."

"Oh I love you too."

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Will and Karen took Jack and Grace to dinner that evening to tell them the good news. Karen had gone to her gynecologist earlier that day to confirm that she was indeed one month pregnant. They couldn't think of a better time for this to happen.

Karen decided that she would pay for their meals. She said that it should be on Stan, but when she searched for her wallet, it was missing. She even dumped her entire purse out on the table.

"I'll get it tonight." Will smiled as he gave his credit card to the waiter.

"I have no idea what could have happened to my wallet." Karen said as she unzipped pockets of her purse that she had never even used before.

"Relax; I'm sure it's at home. We've had a pretty big day. It wouldn't surprise me if it were lying on the kitchen counter."

"I guess you're right." She said as she put everything back into her purse. Jack and Grace watched this exchange with amusement. Their best friends were the cutest couple. Even Jack was still excited about their heterosexual love.

After dinner they all went their separate ways. Will and Karen skipped work that day so they decided to get a good night sleep and actually show up the next day. Their plans took a slight detour though when Karen decided that it might be fun to make love in the elevator. They got to bed a little later than they expected.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Karen decided to spend her lunch break at home the next day. She needed to make a few calls about her credit cards. She was just about to report them missing when there was a knock on the door. She waited for Rosario to answer but she never showed up. There was another knock so Karen sighed and went to answer it herself. She opened the door to reveal the only man she could ever truly hate.

"Karey, how are you, kitten?" he asked as anger took its place on her face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked with venom in her voice. Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

"I have a very good reason to be here." He said as he held her wallet up at eye level. She quickly snatched it out of his hand and opened it to make sure nothing was missing. Once she was satisfied, she tossed the wallet on a table and tried to slam the door in his face. He pushed the door open and walked in.

"You're not welcome in my home. Get out." She said, trying to stay as far away from him as she possibly could.

"I don't even get a thank you for returning something you must value greatly. You don't even seem happy to see me again. What's the matter Karey?" He asked. She took a deep breath and tried not to slap him.

"Don't you _ever_ call me that. My name is Karen." She said through clenched teeth. "Now, get out."

"I know we had a few disagreements when you were a teenager, but can't we leave what's in the past back where it is?" He reasoned. She stared into the evil blue eyes of her childhood oppressor for a moment before she replied.

"What is your problem? Do you honestly think I can forgive something like that?" she began to raise her voice.

"I know you were jealous of my relationship with your mother, but you know that you have never been more than a stepdaughter to me." He said. Her eyes widened and she felt bile rising in her throat.

"You think I wanted you?"

"Of course you did, Karey. Why else would you have seduced me the way you did?"

"I was fourteen years old!"

"You were a whore."

"Fuck you! Get out of my house!" she shouted at him.

"I see it embarrasses you to talk about your past. Face it, kitten, you were a whore. But from what I hear, not much has changed. How many times have you been married? You cheated on your last husband right?" he taunted. Before he knew it, her hand made its way across his face. She hit him as hard as she could before pushing him towards the door. "A little defensive aren't we?"

"I told you to leave!" she yelled.

"Fine, I'll go. But don't think we won't meet up again." He said. She stood shocked for a brief second before he grabbed her face and kissed her coldly, running his tongue over her lips. "I'll be back." He whispered as he walked out the door. As soon as the latch clicked Karen doubled over and vomited on the floor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After calling a maid to clean up her accident, Karen decided that she would go back to work. She needed a drink badly and knew that there was way too much temptation without Will around.

"Karen, what took you so long? It's called lunch hour not lunch hours." Grace complained as Karen took a seat at her desk.

"Sorry, honey. Something came up."

"It's fine." She said as she noticed that Karen seemed unusually pale. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." she quietly spoke as she busied herself with painting her nails. Grace accepted her answer for the moment and started working on a few sketches. Karen, on the other hand, was having a problem fighting flashbacks of her childhood, Bernie's hands on her body or his cold kiss on her mouth. She tried to think about her relationship with Will. He had helped her grow so much.

Before Will she would have never let a man perform oral sex on her. She didn't want it to bring back memories of the only man who had ever done that to her, Bernie. He took so much from her without her even knowing what she was losing and for that she hated him. She felt tears begin to pour from her eyes as her thoughts were becoming more and more sinister. She began to sob uncontrollably, Grace watching from a short distance.

"Karen, what's wrong?" she asked as she rushed to her assistant's side.

"It's nothing, honey. I just need a drink really bad." She said, hoping that her friend would accept her excuse. She needed to get out of there. "I'll see you tomorrow, Gracie. I need some air."

"Karen." Grace began, stopping her assistant before she could leave. "You're not going to drink are you?" she asked. Karen looked at her with a shocked expression.

"I'm pregnant. Why would I do that?"

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure…"

"How stupid do you think I am Grace?" she asked, offended.

"No. It's not that at all." She said as she walked over to stand directly in front of Karen. "I'm just checking on you. I've never really seen you burst into tears like that. I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I really am fine, honey. I'm just a little hormonal." She reasoned. "I'll talk to you later." She said before she walked out the door. Grace just sighed before walking back to her desk.


	19. Chapter 19

"Hey Grace." said Jack as he bounced into Grace's office. "Where's Kare? We were supposed to go to Barney's today, but she won't answer her cell phone."

"I don't know. She said she needed some air and she just left." Replied Grace as she organized a little section of her desk. "I'm really worried about her though. She was really pale and at one point in time she burst into tears for no reason."

"It could just be hormones." He said. Now he was beginning to worry about Karen too. She wouldn't answer her phone and nobody knew where she was. "I think I'm going to go over to the manse. I want to make sure she's okay."

"Make sure you call me once you find her.'

"Okay." He called over his shoulder as he left for the manse. He had a feeling that something was really wrong.

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Karen was gasping for air on the slippery tile of the kitchen counter. Will had come home early and one thing led to another, before either of them knew it, he had ripped her panties off and taken her on the counter.

"Faster." She moaned as she pulled him closer with her legs. He grabbed the top of her shoulders and pulled her toward him as he slammed harder into her, meeting her request. She came quick and hard, shuddering beneath him. He pounded into her until his needs were equally met and collapsed on top of her sweaty body.

He didn't pull out right away. He knew that she liked to stay connected for a few minutes and he was more than happy to remain close to her. They lay together and listened to each other breathing.

Jack walked into the mansion after he left Grace's office. Will got off of work in about an hour and he just wanted to make sure that Karen had gotten home safely. As soon as he made it to the kitchen door he heard them. Will and Karen were moaning each other's names as Jack backed away from the door. He giggled before he opened his phone and called Grace.

"Grace Adler Designs." She answered.

"Karen is home and she's fine."

"Did she tell you what was wrong? What did she say?" she asked. He laughed a little as he made his way out the front door.

"Well it sounded a little like, 'harder, harder, faster.'" He said.

"What?" she asked, confused. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Oh my God, did you walk in on them?"

"No, I only heard. That is really a side of their relationship that I'm not prepared to walk in on." He said.

"Tell me about it. That's how I found out they were in a relationship in the first place." She laughed.

"Good luck getting that image out of your head." He said as he began to hail a taxi.

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Will helped Karen down from the counter and kissed her passionately. After he pulled away he looked into her eyes and smiled. He loved that they didn't have to speak to be together. After a few moments of holding each other he finally spoke.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. She had told him about Bernie's visit when he arrived home and he was worried about her. He knew that she would normally drink when she felt too much of anything, but now that she was pregnant she would stay away from any source of alcohol.

"Oh, honey, I'm feeling great." She replied with a smile. "How about you?"

"I'm wonderful." He replied. "But I was talking about earlier."

"Oh." She said as her mood floated down from the clouds. "I'm better." She said before walking over and putting her arms around his neck. She began sucking and biting on his earlobe, hoping to turn him on again. She did not want to have this conversation. "You want to go again?" she whispered as she began sliding her hand into his pants.

"Karen…" he began, but was silenced by her mouth on his. He pulled away, regrettably, and pulled her hands from his pants. She looked up at him with a puzzled expression.

"What's wrong, honey?"

"Don't think that I don't know what you're doing." He said. She gave him a questioning look. He rolled his eyes and answered. "You're trying to use sex to get out of talking about feelings."

"I am not."

"Yes you are. Once you told me what happened earlier, I wanted to talk you through it. But instead of talking, you went right for the pants." She pulled her hands from his grasp.

"Just leave me alone." She said as she began to leave to kitchen. This time he didn't let her get very far. He grabbed her arm softly before she made it to the door. He pulled her toward him and put his hands on her upper arms.

"I can't leave you alone. Now tell me what's wrong."

"Why does it always have to be like this with you?" she yelled as she pulled away from him. "Why is it always about how I feel? You're constantly asking me if I'm okay or how I'm doing! It isn't always about deeper emotional pain. Maybe I really am fine when I say I am."

"Maybe you've just gotten so good at hiding it that you don't know how you feel."

"I'm not stupid. I know what I'm feeling and when I'm feeling it." She said as she tried to get him to look into her eyes. She was willing him to understand everything that she was saying. "And sometimes, I just feel like fucking you." His head snapped up at this. She smiled innocently as he began to laugh.

"Have I ever told you how hard it is to stay mad at you?"

"Maybe once or twice." She smiled. "You know, if you would just get me into bed, I share a lot of things there."

"So if I think you're feeling sad, I should just have my way with you and you'll talk about it?"

"It's kind of like a win-win situation for you." She replied. He laughed and kissed her before they decided to go out for dinner. Maybe a romantic evening alone would give them both a feeling of starting over. They had a baby on the way and they needed to start celebrating. This was a blessing and they needed to start acting like it was.

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Almost a month had passed and things were finally back to normal. Grace had met a man named Leo and they had decided to move in together. They moved into his apartment, leaving Jack to fend for himself. He was almost homeless when Karen and Will suggested that he move in with them for a while. He was ecstatic.

Karen hadn't heard from Bernie since the last time he came to visit her. She knew that he was watching her though. She could feel his presence in whatever she did. She never told anyone about this, not even Will. She didn't want his questions to start again. They were extremely happy and she didn't want to jeopardize that with her insecure feelings.

"Kare, what are you thinking about?" Jack asked as he noticed her zoning out. They had gone to lunch at a little diner across town. He noticed that she needed a little pick up so he took her somewhere she had never been before.

"Oh, sorry Jackie, I'm just a little scattered today." She replied. How could she tell him that she had a feeling that something bad was about to happen? Would he laugh at her?

"Well, you are like two months pregnant. I guess you should be scattered." He replied. He knew that wasn't it, but they had a strange relationship. He knew that she would tell him if he played his cards right.

"It's not that. I just have a feeling that something bad is about to happen."

"Why's that?"

"I don't know. It's probably nothing." She replied as she took a sip of her water.

"Maybe it isn't nothing. I was watching this thing on television about some woman who had a similar feeling and she ended up losing her foot." He said. He knew it was a stupid thing to say, but it was an attempt to get Karen talking.

"I don't know. Ever since I saw my mother's ex-husband, I've been having strange thoughts. You know, like he's watching me or something. Isn't that insane?" she faked a laugh. She sounded crazy.

"No offense Kare, but it is kind of insane. You're not letting yourself be happy because of a weird feeling. Maybe you should just try to forget all about it."

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks Poodle." She said. "You want to go to Barney's? I need some bigger clothes." She said with a dirty look. "I'm getting fat."

"Sure. And after that we can stop and get some ice cream. If you're already getting fat we might as well help the process." He joked as she threw some money on the table. They walked out of the diner hand in hand. Little did they know, Bernie was on the other side of a dividing wall. He really was watching her and he couldn't wait to get her alone.


	20. Chapter 20

Bernie didn't have to wait too long to find Karen alone. Jack had a date that evening and Will was working late at the office. She was left all alone at the manse, with the exception of a few maids.

He waited for the maids to make their nightly sweep over the manse before they went to bed. Karen settled herself in her library with a soft blanket and a book. He quietly picked the lock of the front door and walked inside.

Karen heard footsteps coming her way, but she assumed that it was just Rosario. Will wasn't supposed to be home for at least another hour and Jack probably wouldn't be back all night. She just ignored the sound and went back to reading her book.

Bernie walked down the hallway and found Karen quickly. He watched her read her book and remembered that she loved to read as a teenager. He also remembered that she was reading the first night that she 'seduced' him. He walked into the library and closed the door softly.

Karen looked up from her book to see who the source of the noise was. Her heart stopped dead in its tracks when she noticed that it was Bernie. He was looking at her like he did when she was fourteen years old. She could never forget that face.

"How the hell did you get in here?" she demanded as she stood from the couch. He was not going to intimidate her.

"Does it matter? I just came by to see how you and the baby were doing." He replied as he began moving closer to her.

"How do you know I'm pregnant?" she asked as she stood her ground, even though she was tempted to step backwards.

"I know a lot of things about you, Kitten." He said as he stopped in front of her. "I know that you're two months pregnant. I know that you can feel it when I'm watching you. And I know that you're home alone right now." He was making her nervous. How did he know so much about her?

He grabbed her face with both of his hands and pulled her in for a kiss. He kissed her roughly and coldly. She struggled to pull away, but he held her in place with an extreme force. She kneed him in between the legs, causing him to let go of her, and ran for the door. She opened it quickly and began to run toward the front door. She didn't make it too far because he was right on her.

He grabbed her around the waist and forced her back into the library where he slammed the door. He threw her to the ground and lay on top of her. He ripped her blouse open and ran his hands over her breasts.

"No!" she screamed as he continued touching her. "Get off of me!"

"What's the matter Karey? You don't want me anymore?" he asked as he kissed her neck. She tried to push him off of her, but he held her hands above her head with one hand while his other began to push her pajama pants down.

"No, please stop!" she pleaded. He loved the fact that he could make this strong woman plead and cry beneath him. He smiled and pushed his hand into her panties, rubbing her roughly. She screamed but he silenced her by kissing her lips, forcing his tongue into her mouth. She tried to kick him again, but he had placed himself in between her legs so she couldn't.

He took his pants down and tried to rip her panties off when he felt a sharp sting against the back of his head. Everything for him went black.

Will had hit him with a baseball bat that Karen's stepson had left at her home. He threw the bat and pulled Bernie's limp body off of Karen. She was shaking uncontrollably and crying. He pulled her to him and she cried into his shoulder. He pulled her pants up over her hips and carried her into the hallway.

"Rosario!" he called. He wanted this man out of their house. Rosario ran into the hallway with the phone in her hand and tears in her eyes.

"I've already called the police."

"Thank you. Can you go and tie him up or something?" he asked. She nodded and went to perform her task. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here." He apologized as he carried Karen into their bedroom. He sat down on the bed and cradled her in his lap. She just sobbed into his chest.

About ten minutes later the police arrived. They were talking to Rosario when Jack returned home from his date. He looked around the entryway at the police officers and quickly made his way to find Karen.

He found her being cradled by Will in their bedroom. He rushed over to them in a panic. What was going on?

"Is she okay? What happened? How's the baby?" he hastily questioned as Karen raised her head from Will's shoulder. She stood and hugged Jack. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her his comfort.

"Everything is fine. Bernie broke in and tried to…attack her. I hit him with a ball bat." Will explained. "Could you stay here with her while I go and give my statement to the police?"

"Of course I will." Jack agreed. He would never leave Karen in a time like this. Will walked downstairs and explained what was going on to the police. "You want to lie down?" he asked Karen. She nodded and they walked over to the bed. She lay down and turned to face Jack. He joined her in the bed and took her hands in his. "How are you?" he asked, hoping she would finally speak. He raised his hand and wiped a few lingering tears from her eyes.

"I'm just a little freaked out." She replied quietly, with a shaky voice. He could hear the fear in her words and pulled her closer. She laid her head on his chest and wrapped an arm around his waist. She felt so lucky to have a best friend that didn't have to ask too many questions. He was just content with holding and supporting her. She wouldn't have it any other way.

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Bernie was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. He was sentenced, not only for attempted sexual assault and breaking and entering, but for numerous other charges that he had been presented with over the years.

Karen was now three months pregnant, but she wasn't really beginning to show. She could tell that she was gaining a little bit of weight, but it wasn't too excessive just yet. She still loved to have a good reason to go shopping with Jack, though.

All four friends were having dinner at a beautiful Italian restaurant when Grace revealed some big news.

"We're getting married!" she shrieked excitedly and she waved her engagement ring in front of her friends' faces. They were overjoyed for her.

"Oh my gosh, Grace, how did he do it?" Will asked as he grabbed her hand and observed her ring. It was gorgeous.

"He took me out to the Brooklyn Bridge and we were looking at the water. He said 'You know I love you. I think we should get married.' And I thought he meant someday, but he put the ring on my finger and I said yes." She finished excitedly. "Oh and Karen, you're my maid of honor. I don't care what you say, you are."

"Oh, honey." Karen replied as she leaned over and hugged the new bride-to-be. She really did feel honored.

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A few weeks later, Grace was a married woman. She and Leo had gone to Hawaii for their honeymoon and arrived back home after a whole week in the sun. She was burnt, but they had an amazing time.

Jack was still living with Will and Karen. Even though they all thought that the living arrangement would drive them crazy, it turned out to be a lot of fun. Even Will enjoyed himself in this odd situation.

One evening, when Will was once again working late, Jack and Karen were going through some parenting books on her living room floor.

"So, do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Jack asked.

"No. We find out at the next appointment. You know it's almost been four months?" she asked in a sort of daze.

"It seems so weird that you two have been together for so long."

"Oh I know. It's been like six months." She replied. "It feels like so much longer with all that we've been through." She laughed.

"Isn't it great to know that now you have nothing to worry about?"

"Hey, bite your tongue. We don't want to jinx anything."

"Fine." He said as he rolled his eyes. "So, have you thought of any names?"

"If it's a boy, Will wants to name it Zachary, but I like Dillon. And we've agreed on Rebecca Lynn if it's a girl."

"Rebecca Lynn Truman. I like it." Jack said as he sat a magazine on the floor. "Kare, why aren't you fat yet?" he asked causing her to laugh.

"I've gone up a whole dress size."

"Yeah, but I want to see you really, really pregnant." He said, bouncing up and down.

"Believe me, it's going to happen, Poodle." She said as she also sat her magazine down. "Do you want to go shopping? I feel like new shoes."

"Do you even have to ask?" he questioned as he jumped up from the floor. Karen also stood and they rushed to get their coats. They spent hours shopping for shoes and didn't get home until eight o'clock.

Will greeted them at the door and helped Karen with her bags. He turned to Jack as soon as Karen was out of earshot. Jack was a little frightened because he thought he sensed anger in his eyes.

"You let her carry all of these bags by herself?" Will accused.

"What the hell is your problem? She's only like four months pregnant. I think she can handle a few shopping bags."

"Oh you think so? Well if you know so much then why don't _you_ just have this baby with her?"

Jack stood still for a moment while trying to soak in Will's words. He had never seen this side of Will and it felt strange. He seemed way too overworked and overly exhausted.

"Listen, sister, you need to calm down." Jack said as he hung his coat on the coat rack. "What are you freaking out about?"

"It's nothing. I just…well, I'm on the verge of losing my job, okay." He finally confessed.

"What? What happened?"

"My boss said that I've been spending way too much time at home and worrying about Karen. He said that if I wanted to be with her so badly then I might as well just stay home."

"Well, why don't you? Stan left her more than enough money to get by. She's like a gazillionaire, Will."

"How embarrassing would that be to know that someone else is supporting me?"

"Why don't you talk to her about it? I'm sure she'll have a practical solution." Jack replied. "She's the only one you'll listen to anyways." He said before he walked upstairs and down the hallway to his bedroom.


	21. Chapter 21

"You're losing your job?" Karen asked after Will confessed his most recent problem to her. "But you love your job."

"I know, but my boss doesn't like the fact that I'm focused more on my personal life than I am on my work."

"Who gives a shit? It's your life." She said coldly. She didn't like his boss before, but she really didn't like him now. How dare he suggest that Will neglect her and the baby?

"I don't know. I want to just walk out of there and quit, but I have you and the baby to think of."

"Will, I can support us. I own everything." She joked softly.

"That's just it. I don't want you to have to support our family. I want to be the man of the house."

"How sexist." She said as she stood from their bed to get a bottle of water.

"I'm sorry. I just wouldn't feel right about it."

"Well then why don't you just take over a few of Stan's companies? I have no idea what I'm doing as the head of Walker Inc. You always end up doing all the work anyway." She reasoned as she walked over to the bed and took a seat next to him. "You would make a lot of money and you would barely have to do anything."

"Karen, that's a great idea. Would you really be willing to do that?"

"Of course, honey. I trust you with my life. That includes our company." She smiled.

"Our company?"

"Yeah, so quit your job and let's go for it."

"Okay." He laughed as he kissed her softly on the lips. He deepened the kiss after a moment and lay Karen down on her back. She hadn't made love since the incident with Bernie. It had been a while, but she still couldn't get his image out of her head.

"Stop." She whispered as Will began kissing down her neck. He ran his hands over her breasts before he felt her pushing him away. "Stop." She said again, louder this time. She sat up and pushed him off of her. "Stop when I say stop." She said harshly.

"When will you let me touch you? You know I'm not him." He reasoned. He knew that if he said his name then he would never be able to get through to her.

"I know that. I just can't get it out of my head."

"Let me help you." He said as she looked into his eyes. "I promise to stop if you really want me to." She thought for a moment and realized that she needed this to move on.

"Okay." She said, pulling the covers of the bed back. "Just go slow."

"I promise." He said as he removed his shirt. She looked at his body and reached out to touch him for the first time in over a month. She withdrew her hand and pulled her shirt over her head as well. She took his hand and softly placed it on one of her breasts. He leaned in and kissed her. She closed her eyes as his tongue found its way into her mouth and in that moment she saw Bernie's eyes. She shuddered and quickly pulled away.

"Keep your eyes open and you'll only see me." Will whispered into her ear. He then laid her back gently and removed his pants and boxers. "I love you." He said as he kissed her neck. He made a move to take her pants off as well, but she stopped him with her hands. She took them off herself and unclasped her bra.

Will smiled at her as he ran his hands over her stomach, feeling the small bump of his unborn child. She returned the smile, shyly, and finally allowed him to take her panties off. He mounted her and looked straight into her eyes. She slowly wrapped her legs around him and brought him into her.

She sighed when she felt how hard he was inside of her. She kissed him softly as if to give him a sign to begin moving. He took the sign and pulled out slowly before pushing back into her. She sighed quietly before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

She didn't close her eyes for fear of what might be seen. She and Will stared into each other's eyes as they made love, slowly, gently, and softly. It wouldn't be long before she was completely herself again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a few days later at Karen's doctor's appointment that they were finally told the gender of their baby. They were going to have a little girl. They were going to have a little Rebecca Lynn Truman and they were ecstatic.

They went out to celebrate after the appointment before Karen decided to go back to work. Will had quit his job the day after Karen told him to and after a few more contracts he would soon be co-president of Walker-Truman Inc.

"So what did the doctor say?" Grace questioned excitedly as Karen entered the office.

"He said that the baby and I are fine and he'll see us next month." She replied as she sat down at her desk and took out a nail file. Grace just rolled her eyes.

"That's great, but I was talking about the sex." She clarified. Karen looked up to the ceiling and smiled to herself.

"The sex is amazing."

"Ew, no!" Grace exclaimed. "Not like that. Come on Karen, you know what I mean. Is it a boy or a girl?" She asked, hoping that there was no way she could run around that question. Karen finally looked into her friend's eyes and smiled wider.

"Rebecca Lynn." She answered before she heard a loud scream and became enveloped in a hug.

"Oh my God, Karen, it's a girl!" Grace screamed excitedly. "We have to go shopping. Come on." She demanded as she ran over and grabbed her purse off of her desk.

"Honey, it's one o'clock. We can't just leave. What if somebody calls?" Karen asked.

"Since when are you responsible?" she replied with a question of her own. She then giggled. "Besides, I'm the boss and I say lets go." She said as she grabbed Karen's hand and pulled her up from her desk.

They spent the next two hours shopping for baby clothes at some of the finest baby stores in Manhattan. Karen even got as far as pinpointing exactly which crib, changing table, and carrier that she wanted. For the first time since she found out she was pregnant, it really hit her that she was going to be a mother. She was terrified.

"What's wrong?" Grace asked as she and Karen took seats in the food court at the mall.

"Honey, you know I hate the mall. And if there's anything I hate more than the mall, it's the food court." Karen replied with a disgusted look on her face. Grace just giggled.

"You're way too uptight. You do know that once you start to show you'll have to wear some clothes that aren't designer labels." She replied. Karen turned her dirty look to Grace.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not. It's true." She replied as she took a sip of her water. "I'm sure a lot of your top designer labels don't have maternity sections. Didn't you know that?"

"I never had a reason to look." She said in a slight panic. "Holy shit, Grace, I'm going to have to dress like…you."

"Thanks, Kare." She said with a fake apoplectic look.

"You know what I mean." She said. Her eyes darted around for a moment as she weighed the gravity of her situation."I think I have to go." She said as she stood from her chair. "I can't breathe."

"Wait, don't go." Grace said as she stood and grabbed Karen's hand. They quickly walked out to the limo together. "I'm sure we can come up with a quick solution to your clothing crisis."

"Don't you get it Grace?" Karen asked once they were on their way to Grace's apartment. "I'm going to get fat. I'm going to be a mother. I have to keep this thing alive." She said while motioning to her only slightly swollen stomach. "What am I going to do?"

"Calm down. Have you talked to Will about this?"

"He wouldn't understand. I'm sorry, honey, I don't mean to be freaking out like this. I've just had a lot of time to think lately."

"It's okay to be scared, Karen. But you can't let it get to you."

"That's easy for you to say. You're a good person. I've been the same person for forty-one years. I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can change who I am. I don't have the ability to be a mother."

"Yes you do. You have mothered me so many times. I mean, sure, you're nothing like my mother, but maybe that's the point. You've already changed so much."

"Its fine, honey. I'll get over it. It's just one of those days." Grace just smiled.

"You know, I have immediate proof that you have changed."

"What's that?"

"You just willingly admitted your age." She replied. Karen's head jolted up so she could look her best friend straight in the eyes. She quickly looked away.

"Just shut up, Grace."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So do you think she'd go for it?" Will asked Jack one afternoon at lunch.

"I don't know. She has been married like three times. Maybe you should just be happy with where you are."

"Will you hint around sometime? I just want to know where she stands. If she's willing, I want to surprise her." He said. Jack was beginning to get frustrated.

"Ugh, just talk to her about it. But remember, she's five months pregnant. She won't want anything fancy because she can't wear anything fancy. Plus, maybe she's worn out on the whole wedding thing."

"I'll talk to her tonight. I just hope she doesn't get angry with me."

"Your relationship works. I'm sure it'll all be fine." Jack said as he sipped his water. "And if she says yes, I get to be a bridesmaid."

"There are so many things I could say to that, Jack."


	22. Chapter 22

Will walked into his and Karen's bedroom to find her running around frantically. She had clothes strewn everywhere, the place was a mess. He couldn't tell what she was up to, but he got an idea when he saw the tape measure in her hand.

"Hey, Kare, what are you doing?" he asked as he walked all the way into the room. She jumped at his voice.

"Oh, hi honey." She said as she looked around at the mess she had made. "I was just…um…doing some sewing." She immediately knew that that was one of the worst lies ever. Another clue was the fact that Will was laughing at her.

"Do you even know how to sew?" he asked as he walked over to her and grabbed the measurer from her hand. She just glared at him. "Are you measuring your stomach?"

"I'm fat, Will." She said in a seething tone. "I can't wear any of my clothes. Even the bigger things I bought don't fit."

"You're pregnant. You know it only gets worse from here."

"Worse? What the fuck am I going to do? I can finally eat solid foods, but I'm always hungry. I feel ugly, tired, fat…"

"Moody." Will added as he began picking up some of her clothes from the floor. He couldn't believe that she had actually been trying to fit into clothes that she hadn't been able to wear in months.

"If I bother you so much then why don't you just break up with me? Just get out. I don't have to deal with this. I'll be fine on my own."

"Karen, you are crazy." He replied as he looked up and stared her straight in the eyes. "You are also pregnant and yes you are gaining weight. You are going to bring our little girl into this world and I couldn't be happier. So please stop being so insane. Relax."

She looked at him harshly and then her features softened. Since when did she get completely psychotic? Then suddenly she found him so attractive in his suit. She reached up and grabbed his face, pulling him in for a kiss. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and ran her hands through his hair.

He was shocked. One moment she was yelling at him, then she was silently going crazy, and here she was practically bashing her tongue down his throat. She was five months pregnant and her hormones were off the charts. He finally pulled away.

"Karen, sweetie, I need to talk to you." He said, Karen still in his arms.

"All you can think about right now is talking? Am I not attractive to you anymore? You don't want me?" she said sadly. Her mood then quickly changed and she became angry. "I don't even know why you think I have to put up with this! Maybe you should…" she began, but was silenced by Will's hand over her mouth.

"Shut up and marry me." He said, softly. Her hazel eyes grew wide and she stopped trying to get away from his hand. He pulled it away from her agape mouth.

"You want to marry me?"

"Yes I do. I love you." He replied. "Please, marry me." He said as he pulled a diamond ring out of his pocket. She just looked at him. She didn't know what to say. Of course she wanted to marry him, but she never thought that she would get married again. How many times is too many?

"Yes I'll marry you." She said. He smiled and slid the ring on her left hand. He then kissed her tenderly. She deepened the kiss and pulled him over to the bed. She removed his shirt and tie and kissed his chest. She unbuckled his pants and slid them to the floor.

Without warning he picked her up and threw her onto the bed. She squealed and giggled as he began taking her clothes off as well. He climbed on top of her and kissed her sensually before taking her bra off and running his hands over her breasts. He then took her panties down and threw them to the floor.

She sighed softly at the touch of his hands and reached down to take his underwear off as well. He lay on top of her and was just about to close the space between them when he suddenly stopped. Karen looked up at him with a confused look on her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she smiled, hoping to ease his nerves.

"I just don't want to hurt the baby. I don't want to squish her." He admitted. She giggled and lightly ran her finger around his nipple.

"Don't worry. She'll be fine." She said. He smiled and nodded. He knew it was a silly fear. Pregnant people had sex all the time and everything was fine. They had even had sex many times while she was with child. He leaned down and kissed her gently before making his way down her neck. He kissed her chest and was on his way to her bellybutton when he stopped again. Karen groaned in frustration.

"What now?" she asked.

"Well, its just…she's right there." He said looking down to her growing belly. She rolled her eyes. If she wanted to get anywhere tonight, she would have to take it into her own hands. She pushed him off of her and sat up.

"Get on your back." She demanded. He complied and she rolled over on top of him. She kissed his lips roughly and massaged his shoulders with her small hands. She reached down the length of his body and grabbed his erection in her hand. He gasped at the surprise and felt himself grow harder.

She sat up, lifted her hips, and let herself fall onto him. She then began gently rocking her hips back and forth. He quickly sat up and held her on his lap, their legs wrapped around one another. He could feel the baby, but he didn't have the fear of crushing her. He lifted Karen and pounded into her furiously.

Her orgasm struck her hard and she whimpered in pleasure. Will knew that she found it distasteful to make noise during sex, but it turned him on immensely whenever she couldn't help it. He wanted to hear her so he began to get a little more violent. He kissed her hard on the mouth. When she began to pull away he bit down on her bottom lip and held it with his teeth. She squealed softly in pain. It hurt, but it felt good all at the same time.

He lifted her right leg with his left hand and put it on his shoulder. He then hugged her around the waist as he continued to thrust. He bit down harder on her lip and tasted blood. He knew that he might be hurting her, but he didn't want to back off until she began making noise. He knew that penetration alone wasn't enough so he reached in between them and brushed a finger over her clit.

"Oh!" she screamed as he quickened the pace once again. He let go of her bottom lip and she arched her back. He was driving her crazy. Then, out of nowhere, he pushed her backward on the bed, causing her to bounce. He lifted her other leg and placed it on his shoulder as well. He grabbed her hips and pounded into her with extreme force. She cried out as her second orgasm overtook her. That was all it took to make Will come along with her.

After steadying his breathing, he pulled out and moved so he was next to Karen. She lay still with her eyes closed. She seemed to be recovering slowly and her lip was swollen and bleeding. He brushed his finger over her lip and knew that maybe he went a little too far.

"I'm sorry, sweetie." He said. She opened her eyes and sleepily looked over to him.

"For what?" she inquired as she rolled over to lie on her side. She was facing him and could see the fear in his eyes.

"For hurting you. Your lip is bleeding." He replied. She just smiled softly at him, her sleepy eyes blinking slowly.

"Oh, honey, I don't care. That tops my list of the best sex I've ever had." She said. He laughed as he scooted closer to her and took her hands in his.

"I'm so glad I didn't hurt you." He said in a relieved tone. He just couldn't help himself sometimes.

"You didn't." she said as she leaned in and kissed his lips. "Now, let's go to sleep, future husband." She said before she closed her eyes and cuddled close to him.

He smiled and grabbed a blanket to drape over them. He put his arm around her and kissed her still bleeding lip. He wiped the blood off of her face and drifted off to sleep as well. He couldn't believe that they were getting married.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Karen walked into work the next day with a jump in her step. She opened to door to find Grace walking out of the swatch room. She couldn't wait to tell her the news. She and Will had decided that they would tell their friends whenever they saw them next. There was no need to make a big production out of it.

"Hey Gracie." She greeted excitedly. "I have some big news." Grace looked up from her book and stopped in her tracks. She was going to give Karen an excited look, but she stopped when she saw that her lip was swollen and bruised. It looked like someone had hit her. She didn't ask what happened just yet.

"What's the news?" she asked, never taking her eyes off of Karen's lips.

"We're getting married!" she screeched excitedly and began to jump up and down. She held up her left hand to show off her ring. She then realized that she was the only one jumping up and down. "What's wrong, honey? Aren't you happy for us?" she asked. She was so confused.

"Of course I am." Grace replied. "Listen I have to go do something. Would you mind answering the phone while I'm gone?" she asked before she enveloped Karen in a hug. She then rubbed Karen's baby bump and walked out the door. She needed to talk to Jack.

Karen on the other hand was flabbergasted. What was Grace's problem? Was she really still upset about their relationship? She seemed so supportive after Will had talked to her.

She decided to ask Grace about her reaction when she returned. She was way too excited to feel sad today. She was getting married…again. But this time it was different. She loved Will with so much intensity that sometimes it felt like they were the only two people in the world. She couldn't wait to get married and have their child. She wanted to be a mother and a wife. She wanted happiness and she knew that Will could give that to her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Grace walked to the group's frequently visited coffee shop where she met Jack. He was surprised when he received Grace's phone call. She didn't tell him what was wrong, but the pitch of her voice was off kilter. He hoped it wasn't too serious.

"Jack, thank goodness you're here." Grace said as she sat down next to him.

"What's up? You sounded weird on the phone."

"It's Will and Karen." She said without continuing. She didn't know how to continue.

"Okay. I'm going to need a little bit more."

"Okay, well, this morning Karen walked in and was really excited. They're getting married."

"Oh my gosh, she said yes?" Jack asked excitedly. He couldn't believe that Karen would really consider getting married again.

"Yeah, but that's not the problem. The problem is, her lip is bruised and maybe a little swollen. It looks like someone hit her in the face. I think Will hit her." Grace said in a panic. Jack just sat still and stared at her. He knew that this was crazy. Will wouldn't hit her and she wouldn't stay with him if he did. Would she? Would he?

"Did you ask her about it?"

"No I didn't want to ask her alone." Jack just rolled her eyes.

"Let's go. I'll ask her if you're too scared." He said as he got up from his seat.

"I'm not scared." She defended while following him. "I just don't know how to say it without hurting her feelings."

"Grace, you know Karen. If you offend her then she'll just say a quick fuck you and a few minutes later you'll be friends again."

They walked into the office to find Karen on the phone. She was writing down a number and a name. She hung up the phone and looked over to the door. She smiled when she saw Jack and jumped up to give him a hug.

"Oh, Poodle, I'm getting married. Look." She said as she held up her hand. She was confused once again when he didn't jump with her either. He was her best friend and he wasn't even happy for her. "What the hell is wrong with you two?" she asked as she put her hands on her hips.

"Listen Karebear, I'm going to ask you something and I don't want you to get mad at me. Okay?" Jack began.

"Fine, just tell me what's going on." She replied, aggravated.

"What happened to your lip?" he asked. "Did Will hit you?" It only took a moment for Karen to burst out laughing. She laughed so hard that tears began streaming down her face. Jack and Grace looked at her in shock, and slight anger.

"Karen, what is so funny?" Grace asked. Karen just looked up into her friends' faces and wiped away a few tears.

"Don't worry, ladies. Will would never do that. It's nothing." She said as she sat back down at her seat. Jack leaned down so he was face to face with Karen and touched her lip with his finger. Then he too began giggling.

"I totally get it now." He giggled before looking to Grace. "You dumb ass." He said as he laughed even harder.

"What are you two talking about? Why don't I get it?" she whined. Karen stood up and walked over to Grace. She took her face in her hands and pulled her in for a kiss. She bit down hard on her bottom lip, causing Grace to pull back and shout. "What the hell is wrong with you?" It took her a moment to completely understand. "Oh." She said then she hit Karen on the arm. "You bitch, you could have just told me." Karen laughed and walked back over to her desk.

"Well, honey, if I would have just told you then I wouldn't have gotten the chance to kiss a girl today now would I?"


	23. Chapter 23

Will and Karen were married at the courthouse three weeks later. Will's parents were there along with Karen's mother. Grace was there with Leo and Jack arrived with his new boyfriend. They had been dating for three weeks and, from what everybody could tell, they were starting to get serious.

They didn't have a honeymoon, they didn't want to make too big of a deal about it. Everybody insisted that they go away for a week or so, but they said that they were just happy to finally be married. Besides, Karen slept a lot. Her pregnancy was beginning to hit her pretty hard.

"Hey sweetheart." Will greeted as he walked into the living room. He leaned down and kissed her warmly on the lips. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." She replied as she sat up on the couch to make room for him. "How was your day?" she asked. He had been in meetings all morning for Walker-Truman Inc.

"I'm exhausted." He replied. She made a sad face and stood. She walked around behind the couch and began to rub his shoulders. "You know this always leads to something." He smiled. She leaned down to kiss and suck on his neck.

"Maybe that's the idea." She whispered. "I'm horny." He just laughed and pulled her face down for a kiss. She responded and ran her hands down his chest. He pushed his tongue into her mouth and awaited her response. When she didn't respond he pulled away and looked into her eyes. She looked like she was in pain.

"What's the matter?" he panicked.

"I don't know. I just got this really weird feeling in my stomach." She replied. He stood and walked around the couch toward her.

"Are you in pain? Do we need to go to the hospital?" he asked. She just jumped a little and her eyes widened.

"No, honey, I think she's moving. Oh my gosh, feel." She said as she took his hand and placed it on her belly. After a few moments of waiting, they felt it. He looked into her eyes and smiled.

"It's our baby." He said excitedly before he picked her up off of the ground and twirled her around.

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Karen's sixth month of pregnancy flew by quickly and she was in her seventh month before she really started gaining weight. She was pissed, but Jack was elated. He wouldn't have been able to keep sane if she hadn't gotten 'fat' when she did. Nobody was quite sure why, but he loved the thought of Karen being really fat.

"Hi Poodle." greeted Karen as she walked into the living room to find Jack on the couch watching movies. "What's up?"

"Oh, hey Kare. Come here." He said. She walked over to the couch and took a seat next to him. "Lay down." He instructed. She lay down and situated herself on the couch. "Can I see it?"

"Jack, is that all I am to you, a belly?" she giggled as she lifted her shirt and pulled her maternity pants under her enlarged stomach. He laid down next to her and put his face on her bare stomach.

"Hello Rebecca. How are you? Uncle Jackie can't wait to meet you." He spoke in baby talk. Karen just rolled her eyes.

"Honey, she'll be here in two months. Can't you wait that long to do the baby talk?"

"No, it's adorable." He said as he ran his hands over her belly. "I love it. And I love her. And she'll love me." He cooed once again.

"I know you enjoy this little love fest, but I have a problem." She said. Jack stopped the cooing and looked into her eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with the baby, right?"

"No you dope. It's about me." She began. "You know I'm going to be like fifty-nine years old when she turns eighteen. Am I too old to have a baby?"

"You worry too much. If it wasn't supposed to happen this way then it wouldn't have." He said. "Now come on, let's play twenty questions."

"No, you are obsessed with that game."

"Please. It helps me calculate how well we know each other. It helps us know the reason that we're best friends."

"Okay fine. You go first." She finally complied. She hated this game, but Jack's boyfriend taught him a whole bunch of cute little love games and he was fanatical about them.

"One, what's my favorite color?" he asked excitedly.

"Light blue because it matches your eyes." She replied. "One, what's my favorite color?"

"Red because it looks really good with your skin. Two, how old was I when I lost my virginity?"

"Sixteen, with the nineteen year old trainer at your first gym. Two, what's my shoe size?" She asked. He looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"You're supposed to ask the same question that I did."

"That's not how you play the game."

"It is when I play it." He complained. She just looked at him.

"Fine, I'll ask it next time. Just answer my question."

"Your shoe size is a six. Three, how many people have I had sex with?"

"Thirty-two. Three, how old was I when I lost my virginity?"

"Eighteen, with your English professor. Four, have I ever been in love?"

"No, not even for a minute. Four, how many people have I had sex with?"

"Six, like your shoe size. That's how I remember that." He giggled. "Karen, can I ask something without freaking you out?"

"Sure, poodle." She replied. He hardly ever used her full name so she knew that he had something on his mind.

"What was your life like before you married Stan? Does Will know?" he asked as he looked into her eyes. She seemed startled by the question before her. She didn't expect Jack to turn so serious so quickly.

"He knows a little."

"Will you tell me?" he asked, unsure of whether or not it was any of his business.

"I don't know Jackie. It's best left in the past."

"Please, I won't judge you. And I won't tell. It'll be a little secret we can have. I just want to know about your life."

"Okay." She said. She took a deep breath and decided that she needed to change. She wanted to set a good example for her daughter and opening up seemed like the first step. "I'm forty-one years old. My parents, my sister, and I lived in Oklahoma City until my father died when I was seven. He had cancer." She began. She slightly regretted that she agreed to tell him, but she went on anyways. "My sister went to live with my grandparents and my mother and I moved to L.A. She pulled a lot of jobs on the west coast until she almost got caught. Then we moved to New Hampshire. She met Bernie when I was thirteen and married him. He…sexually abused me until I left at sixteen. I moved to New York and supported myself by singing in a little bar where I met my first best friend, Kevin. He and I were inseparable." She was now speaking in a daze.

Jack was fascinated. It was like reading a book, but in flashback form. He had never heard Karen stay so serious for so long and it made him feel really mellow.

"He helped me put myself through two years of college, where I lost my virginity to Mr. Tyler. I also had a semi-relationship with a girl. We never had sex or anything because I wasn't really sure if I wanted that. Kevin and I began dating and eventually he asked me to marry him. I said yes, not really knowing what love was. I don't think he really knew either because after a few months he had an affair. We got divorced and I met a rich man who was completely intrigued by me. He would send me flowers and jewelry. He was so sweet when we started dating so I said yes when he asked me to marry him. I thought he was the man of my dreams." She continued. She was feeling sad that she was telling her best friend about this, but she had never told her husband everything. He only knew about half of it. "Then he started yelling at me for stupid reasons. He'd call me a worthless bitch and he made me feel so small. It was the same feeling I got when my stepfather was around me as a teenager. So I left him after about six months of marriage. Then I met Stan…"

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"He and I carried on an affair for a long time while he was still with his ex-wife, Kathy. That's probably the main reason why his kids have never really liked me." Karen continued as she lay in her husband's arms. He had his face buried in her deep brown hair as he listened to her life story. "After he left his wife, he asked me to marry him and I said yes. I, once again, thought that I found love. Then I started taking pills and drinking a lot. I was pregnant once while we were married, but I lost the baby in my third month. The doctor said it was because I overdosed on something that I found in my medicine cabinet. Stan started hitting me after that and well…you know the rest of the story." She finished as she looked up into his eyes. "Do you still feel the same about me? I made so many wrong decisions." She began to feel panicked.

"Sweetie, I love you. And I am so glad that you decided to tell me everything." He said as he leaned over to kiss her on the lips.

"I love you too. And this time, I'm sure about it."

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"What's wrong?" Grace asked as she walked into her office. Karen just glared at her, looking extremely miserable.

"I'm fucking eight months pregnant, Grace. What the hell do you think is wrong?" she said bitterly before trying to get comfortable, again. Grace just laughed.

"You look so cute, Kare." She said. "How's the baby?" she asked as she walked over to her desk and put her sketchbook on it.

"She's healthy, but she's driving me crazy. I don't know how much more of this I can take."

"I think it's beautiful."

"Yeah, tell me how beautiful you think it is when you can't even have sex missionary style anymore." She complained. Grace's eyes grew wide and she looked over to her assistant.

"Really?" she asked, suddenly intrigued. Karen just nodded and rolled her eyes. "Well, how do you do it?" She asked, walking over to Karen's desk.

"Good Lord, Grace, nosey much?"

"Sorry." She apologized before going back over to her desk and flipping through some files.

"Its fine, honey." she said. After a moment she decided to continue. "You just have to be kind of creative. I'm on top a lot."

"I never thought I'd have to worry about that." She said, giving Karen a subtle hint. The millionaire didn't catch it.

"Well, you can just call it a perk or something."

"I just hope I don't get morning sickness." She continued. "I've already started gaining weight." Karen's head shot up.

"Are you pregnant?" she asked excitedly. Grace just smiled and nodded her head.

"Yeah, a month and a half." She replied.

"Oh my God, this is great!" Karen shrieked as she struggled to push herself up from her chair to hug her friend. "Our kids are going to grow up together! Have you told anyone else?"

"Only Leo." She replied. "He's so excited."

"We have to all go out to eat. I'll call Will and Jack and we'll have a huge dinner tonight, just the four of us. I'm paying." She planned as she walked over to the phone on her desk. Grace was more excited than ever.


	24. Chapter 24

"You know, things have gotten really crazy this past year." Jack said as he took a sip of his red wine. It was the only alcohol that the women could have due to their conditions so they all drank the same amount, one glass.

"I know. Grace is married and pregnant, Karen and I are married and she's about to burst. Jack, you've finally found someone who can stand to be around you." Will joked. Jack gave him a forged dirty look.

"Well I'm just glad that we're all happy, healthy, and none of us are alone." Grace added.

"Well, none of us have ever really been alone, Gracie." Karen said.

"That's right. We've always had each other." Jack finished. "And I love you guys."

They all responded with 'I love you too' before returning to their meals. Karen had made reservations at an expensive French restaurant for their celebration. They were so happy for Grace. Will even already arranged a baby shower for her. He invited all of their old friends and it would take place in two weeks. Jack was making the cake.

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A day before Grace's baby shower Jack and Karen decided to go shopping for some gifts. They got her a whole bunch of baby clothes, a stroller, and a baby changer. Karen had bought her own baby's furniture a few days earlier and she knew what she was looking for. It may have been a little extravagant, but Karen Truman only wanted the best for her little Gracie.

"Jackie, stop staring at me." Karen complained after they went back to the manse. She had just flopped down in a big armchair and kicked her shoes off.

"I'm sorry." He replied. "I've never seen you like this before and it's just different." He said as he took a seat in the armchair next to hers.

"Like what, honey? Huge?" she asked, harshly. He giggled.

"Well that, but you're in shorts and a tee-shirt, flat shoes, hardly any makeup, your hair is in a ponytail, and you are all sweaty." He said. "It's everything that you're not."

"I know, okay. It's hard to be me with this engorged lump hanging off of me." She said. "I can't wait for this to be over."

"Me either, cause then we'll have a baby." He cooed.

"Poodle no." she tried, but it was too late. He had already positioned himself in front of her on his knees, face pressed to her stomach. She just rolled her eyes and laid her head back so he could talk to the baby. She felt him pull her shirt up over her bump and feel around a little before looking up to her.

"She's dropped. It is going to be soon?" he asked excitedly.

"The doctor said that it could be today or two weeks from now. Probably more later than sooner."

"I think it'll be soon." He said as he laid his face back down on her bare stomach. After a few moments of silence Karen spoke.

"Will you be my baby's godfather?" she asked. His head shot up in disbelief.

"Are you sure, Karebear? Don't you want someone with more experience?"

"No, I want it to be you. The way I see it, if you love this baby as much as you do now, it will be ten times as much love when she's born. That's the kind of person I want to take care of my baby if anything ever happens. So will you?"

"Yes." He replied sweetly. He leaned up and pecked her lips before hugging her. "I am so honored, Kare."

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Grace's baby shower was a success. She got everything that she could ever possibly need. Leo wasn't able to be there, but Will, Jack, and Karen were with her from beginning to end.

After the shower, all three of the friends stayed and helped clean up. It took place at Grace's apartment so she didn't have to lug all of her gifts home. Will, Grace, and Jack had taken a load of baby things into the nursery, leaving Karen to clean up the food mess. It was when she strung plastic wrap over a cheese ball that she began to feel strange.

Her strange feeling passed so she moved to place some leftovers in the refrigerator. As soon as she closed the door, she got a pain in her lower stomach. She bent over a little bit so the pain would subside. When it finally did, she took a deep breath and began to plastic wrap some more food.

She made one more trip to the refrigerator and closed the door. Instead of a pain, this time she felt a small splash of water hit her flats. She began to panic when she realized that her water had just broken. Her breathing was that like a panic attack victims.

"Will!" she called into the apartment. She squeaked a little when she called his name a second time. "Will!"

He heard her shout to him and quickly made his way from the nursery. Jack and Grace ran behind him in alarm. He ran into the kitchen to find her hyperventilating against the counter.

"Kare, what's wrong?" he asked as he rushed to her side. He stepped in a shallow puddle at her feet and his eyes grew wide. "Guys her water broke." He said as he lifted her into his arms. Even at nine months pregnant she still felt as light as a feather. They all four rushed out the door and down to the limo. Driver took them to the hospital in no time flat. Karen was finally having her baby.


	25. Chapter 25

"Where are the drugs?!" Karen spoke harshly as the doctor checked a few monitors.

"Patience, Mrs. Truman. You're not dilated enough for your epidural quite yet."

"Listen, doctor, I can't handle this. I need drugs. I'm not that good with pain." She pleaded as he walked down and pulled up the covers so he could check her dilation.

"I'll check and see. Take a deep breath." He said. She complied and he decided that she could have her epidural.

"Thank you." She said, relieved. "Could you please let my husband and friends back in here. I don't want to you to stick that needle in my back while I'm alone."

"Sure thing." he said as he opened the door and explained the situation to the three friends. They were then allowed to go and see Karen.

"Hey kids." She said as they walked into the room and surrounded her hospital bed. Will leaned in and kissed her softly before speaking.

"How are you feeling?"

"Oh, better now that I can get my drugs." She giggled. Jack and Grace giggled as well.

"Yeah, about that…" Will began. "I don't think it would be a good idea for you to use any drugs."

"What? You have got to be joking. Oh!" she exclaimed as another contraction hit her, hard. They were getting worse and she really needed drugs. She knew that it would only be a matter of time before she began to get really mean. Will replied after her contraction passed.

"Well, it's just, what if you get addicted or something?" he asked worriedly. "It wouldn't be the first time." She just looked at him with venom in her glare.

"Listen to me, Wilma. A small human is getting in position to be shoved through a tiny hole in my vagina. It already hurts like hell. So if you think that you are going to deny me anything that will kill this pain, I think you are in for a rude awakening." She said before another contraction hit her. Jack held her hand and waited for the pain to pass. "Now, get me my fucking epidural." She demanded through clenched teeth.

Will nodded, a bit scared, and ran out of the room for the doctor. Grace and Jack just held her hands while her contractions got worse and worse. About fifteen minutes later the doctor arrived with and enormous needle. Karen was in tears from the last contraction and Jack was wiping the tears from her eyes with a tissue.

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"This feels great." Karen said, sweetly as she leaned her head back and looked at the machine that was monitoring her contractions. "Look, Poodle, I'm having a contraction." She giggled as he looked over at the monitor.

"So I'm guessing the drugs are working." He said as he giggled as well.

"Oh, yes. It's like magic." She replied. She then dropped into thought. "Honey, where did Will and Grace go?"

"I think Grace is still sick from seeing the size of that needle. I don't know about Will. I think he feels bad about what you said to him earlier."

"I didn't mean to hurt his feelings." She sighed. "That was the kind of pain that I could not put up with no matter what."

"Do you want me to find him?"

"No, I'm sure he'll be back soon. I know he doesn't want to miss a minute of this." She replied. After a moment of silence, Jack asked Karen a question that he had wanted to ask for a really long time.

"Kare, can I be in the room when the baby's born? I promise I won't get in the way."

"Aw, of course you can, Poodle." She smiled, happy to know that he really wanted to be a part of her baby's life. It was sweet. "Hey, why don't you see if Grace wants to be in here too?"

"Yeah, I'll be back." He replied excitedly before leaving to room. He passed Will on the way out.

"Hey, honey." Karen greeted as Will walked over to her bedside. "Are you okay?" he just softly laughed.

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same question?" he asked as he took a seat next to the bed.

"Listen, I know I may have hurt your feelings earlier, but I was in so much pain." She began. "I'm sorry if what I said offended you."

"It's okay. I just want to know what got you into calling me Wilma again." He said. She just chuckled.

"I guess that's a nickname that will never go away, honey." He laughed as well and leaned over to kiss her on the lips.

"Okay, Mrs. Truman, it's time to see how far along you are." said the doctor as he walked into the room. He pulled up the covers and checked her. "I feel a head. I'll get a few nurses in here and it'll be time to push." He said before he made a quick exit.

"Kare, this is it." Will said excitedly. "We're having a baby."

Jack and Grace walked into the room ahead of two nurses and the doctor. They all took their places up towards Karen's head and Jack and Will grabbed her hands. The doctor put her legs up in the stirrups and told her that it was time to push. It was only about four pushes later that she heard the cry of her baby girl. Her heart sped at the thought that she was finally a mother and she cried tears of joy before silently thanking God.


	26. Chapter 26

"She is a little dream, Kare." Jack said as he held his goddaughter. She was two days old, but Jack was already completely taken by her. He loved looking into Karen's eyes while they were still in the form of a child.

"I know, Poodle." She said, smiling. She sat down next to him on the couch. She handed him a bottle and watched as he began feeding her new baby girl. "I can't believe that Will and I created that." She thought out loud. "It's funny that we hated each other a year ago. Look at us now." She chuckled.

"I know. I would have never guessed that any of this would have happened." He replied. "But I'm so glad it did. Now all of my best friends are happy." He said as he held the baby on his shoulder to be burped. Karen just smiled at the sight. He returned the smile and handed the baby over to her mother.

"You don't want to finish feeding her?" Karen asked as she held her daughter.

"No, I want to watch you two together. I like seeing you as a mother." He replied. She smiled and finished feeding Rebecca. Jack watched in silence with a smile on his face.

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Will came home late a month after the baby was born to find Karen in bed already. She was sleeping peacefully under their heavy comforter. He smiled after taking off his jacket and tie and climbed up onto the bed. He began kissing her neck, causing a small giggle from her.

"Honey, I'm trying to sleep." She said in a groggy voice. He moved his hands up to feel her breasts when she rolled over on top of him and kissed him sweetly. She unbuttoned his shirt and kissed all the way down his stomach until she reached his pants. She then pulled his pants and boxers off of his body. Her lips were on his thigh and she was just about to put her mouth on him when a shrill cry came from the crib across the room. She looked up into his eyes and smiled apologetically before getting off of the bed and picking up their child.

Will, who was overly excited, tried to calm himself down as he got off of the bed and put his boxers back on. He walked over to Karen who had just gotten a bottle out of the little bottle heater on their night table. He stood behind her and wrapped her arms around her waste. He leaned his head down on her shoulder before he spoke.

"I love you, Kare." He said as he kissed the side of her neck.

"I love you too." She replied. "I just wish we could make love without interruptions."

"Well, I'm just thankful that we are here together. We're married and Rebecca is going to grow up in a loving environment. I don't think I could be much happier."

"I'm not sure you could either." She replied, smiling. "I can feel it on my hip."

"Is she asleep yet?" he asked.

"Just a few more minutes." He walked over to the bed and crawled in, waiting for his wife. After making sure the baby was asleep and putting her back into the crib, Karen joined Will in the bed and snuggled up to him. "Do you think there's a reason for everything?" she asked.

"Yes." He replied, a little puzzled by her question. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know, honey." She replied, sighing. "I've just been thinking a lot lately. There are so many reasons why we shouldn't have ever gotten together. I mean, we had an affair, I got pregnant, I had a miscarriage, Stan died, our friends found out that we lied to them, we got pregnant and married. Look at us now. We've gone through so much."

"Yeah, but we've been here for each other every step of the way. We found true love and happiness." He added, causing her to smile and cuddle closer to him. "We were both miserable. You have so much baggage from your past that you've dealt with. And you know what, I'm glad you can finally move on. I love you and you love me. So maybe everything does happen for a reason and I think its all about love. Maybe that's the reason."


End file.
